The Ghostly Titan
by RayRox360
Summary: Danny's secret is out, exposed in front of his town, cameras, and the Guys in White. Now on the run from the GIW and the Justice League, with his friends and his sister, the group ends up in Jump City, where they encounter the Teen Titans, Slade, and his newfound ally. Will the Titans be able to protect new friends from the government, a team of elite heroes, and evil masterminds?
1. Chapter 1: Complications

**Prologue:**

The man stared intently at the large screen, the bright light illuminating the mask on his face. On the screen were different images of the same thing, a boy in a black and white hazmat suit with shockingly white hair and piercing green eyes. In some of the photos, the boy was replaced with another boy with raven black hair and striking blue eyes. Different videos of the white haired boy battling different entities were shown on other monitors. "Interesting." The man said as he gazed intently at every photo and video.

"The boy shows promise."

He slowly got up and walked across the room to the only other man in the room, both staring intently at the other computer monitors placed around the dark room, the screens producing the only visible source of light. On the other screens, a live feed of five teens were shown fighting a block-like creature.

One boy with a mask and a suit of red, yellow, green, and black.

A girl with unnaturally orange skin and glowing green eyes, along with red hair.

A large boy with metallic parts placed around his body.

A girl with a dark blue cloak and hood covering her body.

And a boy with emerald green skin in a purple and black suit.

"They are strong." The other man said, his blue skin, white fangs, and black hair that curled up into the air at the ends made him look just as evil as he was.

"But are they strong enough to defeat the ghost boy?" The man in the mask asked

The blue skinned man grinned at him. "Of course not."

The man in the mask smiled behind the metal on his face.

"Excellent. He will make the perfect apprentice"

The blue skinned man glared at the masked man. "I have been trying to get Daniel to become my apprentice for quite some time now. what makes you think it will be anything different with you, Slade?"

The masked man, dubbed Slade chuckled at the man and sighed. "Trust me Plasmius, I will get through to the boy." He glanced at the live feed of the titans.

"He just needs the right motivation."

* * *

Robin slammed his bow staff down onto Cinderblock' s head, feeling satisfaction at seeing small cracks appear down the side of the large monster's head.

But that feeling plummeted when Cinderblock swatted the Boy Wonder out of the air into a large pile of crates.

Then, the behemoth was blind-sided then a multitude of green blasts hit his side, along with a white and blue blast. "Booyah!" Cyborg yelled. Cinderblock roared as he brought his fists down onto the ground, cracking the earth, the rumbling causing the two teens to fall to the floor.

Cinderblock charges, but was pulled back as an elephant's trunk and dark black magic wrapped around his stone-hard legs and pulled him down to the ground.

Cyborg and Starfire bombarded him with blasts and shots while Robin drove him back with kicks and hard punches to the chest until Cinderblock finally tumbled to the ground and didn't get back up.

"Success!" Starfire cheered as Beastboy and Cyborg high-fived.

"Nice job team." Robin said as he smiled at his team of friends. "Friend Raven! You and Beastboy do make a team of success!" Starfire beamed. "Yeah, Ray." Cyborg chimed. "You two should work together more often." He smirked.

"What do you say, Ray Ray. Wanna work with me?" Beastboy asked as he smoothed his hair back.

"I can't wait." Raven said in her usual sarcastic monotone voice as a sliver of her magic reached out and thwacked Beastboy in the back of the head.

The Titans laughed while Beastboy yelped and rubbed his now sore head.

* * *

Slade and Plasmius smiled as they watched the footage, then turned back to the video of Danny Phantom blasting mercilessly at his enemy.

Slade turned off the monitors and faced his new-found ally, preparing to make a call to a certain agency about a big secret their biggest problem was hiding.

"He will dispose of them quickly."

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

Danny hit the ground with a thud, the pavement cracking under him. He groaned as he pushed himself up and flew back into the air.

"What's the matter whelp? Too much for you?" Skulker mocked as he fired another barrage of missiles.

Danny turned intangible and formed an ecto-shield around the people who might have been in danger of the exploding missiles. "Well if you aim like that, I have nothing to worry about." Danny shouted as he fired an ectoblast at the mechanical ghost.

Skulker roared as the blast hit him in the chest. Before he had time to react, Danny kicked him back, sending him crashing to the ground. Danny looked down, not having realizing that many people had formed a crowd to watch the encounter, including many reporters and camera crews, along with a few choppers that hung in the air, capturing the fight on film.

After the endeavor with Nocturne about a week ago, many more people had been showing up to Danny's fights, rooting for their favorite ghost boy.

Well, most of them were rooting for him. There were still many people in the crowd who hated the young boy, including Valerie, who was getting ready to transform into the Red Huntress, and Danny's own parents, the Fentons.

Danny glanced once more at the crowd, realizing that almost everyone in the small town of Amity Park was around the scene. He saw his friends Sam and Tucker, and his sister Jazz around the front of the crowd, watching with worry. Danny decided to end this quickly before anybody got hurt ( _including himself_ ) and pulled out the Fenton thermos. He uncapped it and sucked in a screaming Skulker.

He turned his feet into a wispy ghost tail and hovered a few feet off of the ground. He smiled sheepishly at the crowd and turned up to the sky and flew higher and higher away, leaving behind a large crowd. Suddenly, he felt a seering pain in his chest and fell back down to the ground. He then realized that he had been shot with an blast and scanned the skies to see who had shot it.

"Whoa! Where did that come from?!" A dazed and confused Danny asked as he rubbed the back of his head. It was then that Danny saw two men in pure white suits with jetpacks on their backs fly towards him, blasters in hand.

"Great." The ghost boy sighed. "Now I have to deal with these two idiots." He got up and flew back into the sky.

During this, Valerie managed to slip away from the rest of the crowd, seeing this as the perfect time to make her move. Jack turned back to his wife, determination in his eyes. "Come on, Maddie. We have a ghost to catch." He shouted as he pulled out a Fenton bazooka, Maddie right beside him. Jazz looked at them in horror and chased after them screaming, "Mom, Dad, no!"

Tucker looked over at Sam and the disappearing ghost hunters. "Should we be worried?" He asked as he turned his head to gaze back at the battle.

Danny faced the two agents and crossed his arms. "Look, can we get this over with quickly? I have more important things to do." He snapped as the men fired another round of blasts. Danny weaved and dodged most of the blasts until one of them hit him in the shoulder. He screamed out in pain as they rounded back around and continued to shoot. "Give it up, Ghost punk! We've finally found out your secret." One of the men yelled.

Danny felt a hint of panic rise in his chest, that he instantly pushed down, choosing to hide his fear in sarcasm. "Oh, yeah? And just what would that be?" He smirked. The agent sneered back at him. "That you're half human."

Danny's eyes widened, a look that the two agents caught. He stared back at them in shock. "H..how -"

"How did we figure it out?" One of them asked. "Let's just say we got a very informative call. A call that's proven to be correct." He sneered. "Now all we have to do is peer behind the mask and see who's the little punk that's been causing us trouble." He growled.

Danny's eyes widened in fear, causing them to smile and fire another barrage. "Okay, now might be a good time to disappear." Danny said quietly as he tried to turn invisible, to no avail. "What! What the heck is going on." He sshouted as he tried and failed again. "Don't bother, punk. Those blasts temporarily took away any means for you to escape. That means no intangibility…" One agent stated. "...and no invisibility." The other one finished.

Just then, Valerie, all suited up in her hunting gear, showed up on her hoverboard. "Looks like there's nowhere for you to run, ghost scum!" She screamed as she pointed her guns at him. Also, the Fentons at this point had found the perfect spot to take a clean shot at the ectoplasmic punk. They both raised the bazookas. "You're going down, Phantom!" Maddie screamed as she charged her blaster.

All Danny could hear were the high pitched whines coming from all of the guns, pointed directly at him.

Sam, Tucker and Jazz, along with the rest of the crowd watched from below as hunters from the city took aim at Danny Phantom, who couldn't escape. "Now we should be worried!" Sam screamed.

They fired


	2. Chapter 2: Secrets Revealed

**Chapter 2: Secrets Revealed**

* * *

Heat.

That was the only thing Danny could feel. It was like he had plunged headfirst into the Sun's core.

The pain came afterwards.

His screams echoed throughout the town as the pain coursed up and down his body. The spectators below gasped as the boy crashed down to the ground, a large smoking crater appearing in the street before them. Danny cracked open his eyes, the pain now beginning to diminish as he slowly crawled out of the hole, breathing hard.

Suddenly, a ring encompassed his body as they traveled up and down until, crouched where Danny Phantom used to be, now sat Danny Fenton, jet black hair swooping down into his face, baby blue eyes trailed hard on the ground below him as he tried to regain focus.

The collective gasp of the crowd caused Danny to raise his head and slowly stand up on shaky legs. He glanced around at the crowd, nobody making a sound except for the choppers that hovered overhead, cameramen rolling away inside, broadcasting live to the rest of the nation.

Danny then looks down at himself and the panic that had fluttered in his chest exploded as he realized what the crowd was gasping at. His white tee and jeans now replaced his black hazmat suit.

One simple question was the only thing that broke the silence.

"D...Danny?"

He turned to see who uttered the word and found himself staring back at his shocked mother, smoking gun still in hand. Valerie floated on her hoverboard, standing eerily still, no doubt gasping behind her mask. The GIW agents stared in shock, having learned that the anonymous tip that they got about the ghost boy being half human was in fact true.

Then, all hell broke loose.

The crowd, consisting of almost everyone in Amity Park, including kids from school, and live cameras, rushed towards him. He was reminded of the one time his secret was exposed in the Reality Gauntlet incident, only now there was no changing this. But before anybody could reach him, Sam, Tucker and Jazz rushed in front of him. "Get away!" Jazz yelled at the crowd. "Okay, who is getting some serious deja vu right now?" Tucker asked. "Not now, Tucker. " Danny growled through clenched teeth.

"Freeze, ghost!" The agents yelled, pointing their guns again.

"Guys, hold on the me." Danny yelled as he turned back into Danny Phantom, much to the shock of the crowd and grabbed his friends and sister before flying into the air as fast as possible before the agents could shoot and his parents found a scalpel.

It wasn't until Danny heard the high pitched sound of the jetpacks that he realized that he wasn't safe yet. He gasped as a bright blue beam shot right over his head. "Hey! Watch it!" Tucker shouted as he glared back at the agents. "Tuck! Stop yelling at the crazy agents!" Sam snarled.

Danny glanced back at the agents behind him, their guns beginning to charge once more. _I can't let them hit the others_ He thought as he continued to fly. Suddenly, a realization popped up into his mind as he remembered why he couldn't escape from the agents in the first place. Praying the guns' effects had worn off. Danny closed his eyes as he willed his body to turn invisible.

Thankfully, his power worked and the agents lost him in the sky

"We've lost sight of the boy." Agent K said as he glanced around the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of a wispy tail.

"Don't worry, we know where he'll head." Agent O said.

Danny reappeared once Fenton Works was in sight. He phased them inside and let them go. He then placed his hands on his head and did the thing he did best.

"Oh my god! What am I going to do?! How could this happen?!"

 _Freak out._

Sam then grabbed hold of him and shook him out of his mental state.

"Danny, focus! We have to stay calm."

The boy pulled away and glared at the goth girl. "Calm down? CALM DOWN?! How am I supposed to calm down when the whole freakin' world knows my secret?!

Jazz then stepped in front of her brother." Danny, Sam's right. You have to stay calm."

"Besides..." Tucker said placing a hand on the ghost boy's shoulder. "...the whole world doesn't know your secret. What are the odds that a simple news broadcast from rinky-dink Amity Park travels around the world. We aren't the most interesting place ever."

Danny whipped around to face his best friend. "Tuck, I literally just proved to the world that there's such a thing as half-ghost hybrids. I THINK they'll notice!" He snarled as he ran his fingers through his hair.

He then raced to his room, his friends hot on his tail. Once they reached it, Danny was already whipping out money from the back of his drawer.

"What are you doing, Danny?" Jazz asks.

"Packing essentials." He replied, not even bothering to look up as he began to pack a few clothes as well as a large load of cash he had been saving up. Once finished, he turned back to them until his eyes widened and he raced down to the basement and grabbed the Fenton wrist rays, the Fenton phones, the specter deflector, extra thermoses, and anything else he thought he might need, and stuffed them into his purple backpack.

He turned and ran back into the kitchen until Jazz grabbed him and asked, "Danny, just where do you think you are going?!" He wrenched himself from her grip. "Anywhere, but here. Now that people know my secret, I have to-" He was cut off by Tucker.

"What? Run away?"

"Well, what choice do I have? The freakin' government is after me, along with anybody who doesn't like ghosts, and that includes my parents."

Sam then grabbed his shoulder. "Then obviously we're coming with you."

"No way! It is way too dangerous for you guys to come along with me, your parents would be worried sick!" He shouted as he continued to take a step forward, Jazz grabbing his shoulder once more as she pulled him back. "That's not all, is it?" She asked, her gaze hardening as she narrowed her eyes.

Danny sighed and lowered his gaze. "And...and I don't want to ruin your lives as well." He sighed, trying to blink back tears. The trio gazed at each other for a minute in shock. Jazz placed her hands on his face and raised his head so that he was staring at her "Hey, you haven't ruined anything. We want to come with you, Danny. We're all in this together. We're a team, a team that will always stick together, and we're not about to let you go off to who-knows-where!" She stressed

"Yeah, man. We started this whole adventure together..." Tucker started.

"...and we're going to keep it that way." Sam finished, determination in her amethyst eyes. "Besides, " She smirked "I could use a little break from my parents."

Danny groaned, knowing he didn't have a choice, but inside, he was elated to have his sister and best friends coming with him.

Jazz raced upstairs to pack her money and a few clothes. Tucker looked over at his friends. "So, what happens now?"

Danny lowered his gaze to stare at the floor. "I...I don't know. But I know I can't stay here."

"What about your parents?" Sam asked.

Danny sighed. "I really can't face them right now"

 _Or ever._ Danny thought sadly.

Just then, Jazz appeared once again and rejoined the group. They looked at each other, knowing that they were about to start the most difficult battle yet. Danny reached towards the door, but paused when he heard the sound of distant rumbling. "DO you guys hear that?" Tucker asked, rubbing his ears.

Danny's eyes widened in realization as he pushed his friends out of the way right as the door was knocked off its hinges and flew into the room, taking Danny with him. His parents came tumbling in, along with GIW agents crashing through the windows and walls.

"Ahhhh!" Jazz screamed as the others helped Danny up from the floor, the broken door laying in pieces around them.

"Danny!" Jack yelled. The boy's eyes widened in fear, mostly at his parents than at the agents. He turned to run up the stairs, with his friends behind him when he instead faced an army of GIW agents.

"Daniel Fenton, Samantha Manson, Tucker Foley, and Jasmine Fenton, you are all under arrest." Agent K growled.

Danny clenched his fists. "You'll have to catch us first!" He yelled as he raced for the wall and pushed the emergency button that lay encased in glass.

Tucker was right, he was having some serious deja vu.

Once the house picked up the ecto signatures in the agents' weapons, Danny saw their opening. He grabbed his friends and raced up the stairs. "Danny, wait!" He heard his mother yell, but he didn't look back as they ran into Jazz's room and threw the carpet, yelling 4 to the op center.

He then raced around the small room, looking for a specific button before the agents came to their senses and came after them.

His eyes then landed on a big red button and he slammed his fist down on it. The Ops Center shuddered and shook as large mechanical turbines and wings shot out from its sides and roared to life, the large machine breaking away from the rest of the house as it rose into the air, right as the agents appeared on the roof.

The jet let out a large boom as it sped off into the air, the three convicts inside unaware of the blinking white tracker that had been shot onto the side.

* * *

 **Jump City**

 **Titans Tower**

 **4 hours later...**

Robin gazed at the city as the sun began to set over the calm ocean waters, making the waves turn a beautiful golden red. He loved this time of day, when the city was at it's calmest, for most criminals waited until complete nightfall to begin their antics. The Boy Wonder turned his head to look at the tower.

Cyborg and Beastboy sat on the couch, each trying to best the other in the game that they were playing.

Raven sat levitated in the air, reading silently.

And Starfire played with her strange maggot pet, Silky, who cooed and purred as the Tameranian stroked it's back and rubbed it's stomach.

He sighed, feeling that nothing could ruin this peace, that everyone had to be as calm and relaxed as he, when, in truth, he could not be more wrong.

Suddenly, the video game disappeared, to be replaced by a breaking news story.

"Aww man! I was just about to break Chrome-dome's high score!" Beastboy whined. "Trust me, that was never going to happen." Cyborg smirked as Beastboy growled at him.

Quiet." Robin snapped. His gaze drifted back to the screen, as the other titans looked to it as well.

" _This just in, the identity of the ghost boy, Danny Phantom has just been discovered!"_ The women stated.

"Hey, I've heard about that guy. Some say he's a villian, while others think he's a hero." Cyborg stated. "Make up your minds, people!"

"Yeah." Beastboy said. "And if you ask me, I think it's pretty far-fetched. I mean really, a ghost boy?!"

"Well, good thing nobody asked you." Raven monotoned as they turned back to the screen.

 _"Thanks Cindy. I am here live in Amity Park, where the infamous ghost boy Danny Phantom, has had his identity revealed. He is none other that local town resident Danny Fenton, son of famous ghost hunters Jack and Madeline Fenton."_

The screen then showed the ghost boy getting blasted with 5 different guns and falling to the ground, then as two white rings passed along his body, he turned into a kid with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes. The teen showed a look of fear and dread across his face as he realized that he had been exposed.

"Man, that had to hurt!" Beastboy said wincing.

 _"Danny Phantom a.k.a. Danny Fenton then flew off with his best friends Samantha Manson ,Tucker Foley, and his sister Jasmine Fenton, They group was then seen taking off in a jet._

The video then showed the teen be surrounded by people, only to have them be blocked by a girl with short black hair and dark clothing, reminding Robin of Raven, a dark skinned boy with a backwards beret and glasses, and an older girl with ginger hair and a blue headband. It then showed the kid transforming back into Phantom and flying away, friends in hand.

 _"We now go live to the parents of Daniel and Jasmine Fenton."_

The screen then showed to people, the overweight man in an orange jumpsuit, and the petite woman in a blue. Both looked upset and distraught.

Reporters mobbed them with questions as cameras flashed.

 _How do you feel?!_ One reporter asked.

"How do you think we feel?! Our children are missing and we have no idea where they are, and our own son is petrified of us!" The woman snarled until she let out a small sob at the last remark.

The man placed a hand on her shoulder.

 _"Did you have any idea that your son was half ghost?"_ Another reporter asked. The man answered this time.

"Of course not, this never would have happened if we did!"

 _How do you feel having realized that all this time you have been hunting your own son and that it was probably one of your inventions that killed him?"_

That sent them over the edge,

The woman broke down an started sobbing uncontrollably, while the man tried to rip the reporter apart, having to be held back by security and led away with his sobbing wife.

Robin had seen enough. He picked up the remote and turned off the tv in disgust.

"Those people are worse than Gorgonian Blartenz." Starfire said with anger.

"Yeah, that was harsh." Cyborg agreed. "I feel bad for the kid. I mean , his entire life was just ruined."

Robin had to agree. He knew how important a secret identity was, and he knew that it must have been even more important for this Danny kid, considering most people would hate him if his secret were ever exposed. And considering it just was, Robin couldn't even begin to imagine what that kid was going through.


	3. Chapter 3: Beginning our Run

**Chapter 3: Beginning our Run**

It had been 36 hours since the teens had left Amity Park.

Danny remained quiet for most of the journey, not able to even look at the Auto-Jack that steered the jet.

Sam, Tucker and Jazz had talked to each other for the most part, trying to figure out what their game plan was.

"Have your parents tried to call you?" Jazz asked the two.

"More than they ever have in my entire life." Sam said as she looked at her phone, which had more than 37 missed calls, all from her parents.

Tucker fared no better.

"What about you?" Sam asked the girl.

Jazz sighed. "I turned mine off. I really can't talk to them right now. I can only imagine what they would say."

She then stopped and looked sadly over to her brother. She had never seen him look so depressed. His raven black hair hung limply over his eyes, shielding them from view, but Jazz could tell that they would be empty and tired if they were visible. His shirt was worn and wrinkled, as if he didn't even have the energy anymore to fix it. Sam and Tucker followed her gaze and Sam placed a hand on the girl's.

"Don't worry, Jazz. Danny's strong. He'll pull through this. As long as we stay in this together."

Jazz looked into her amethyst eyes and slowly nodded her head. It had been a while since someone _else_ had to make her feel better, and not the other way around.

Danny stared through the windows at the plains and hills as they passed below them, gazing at the calm scenery. He tried to figure out in his mind exactly when everything had fallen apart. In the corner of his eye, he could see his friends talking with his sister, oblivious that he could hear everything that they were saying. _Stupid ghost powers_. He cursed for just about the hundredth time ever since they had took off in the metallic craft.

A deep rumbling in the pits of his stomach yanked Danny out of his thoughts and made him turn to his friends.

"Something tells me we should find some food to eat." Sam chuckled.

"Ya think?! Do you know how many feedings I have missed?! I'm surprised i'm even still alive!" Tucker shouted, waving his arms above his head for added exaggeration.

Sam slapped the frantic boy upside the head. "Calm down, Techno Geek! We'll land and look for something soon."

Danny got up and walked over to them. "And how do you suppose we do that? We can't exactly walk around in broad daylight, considering word about us has probably reached the other side of the country by now." Danny sighed.

Jazz then jumped up from her seat, where she had remained quiet. "Leave that to me, little brother." She crouched down next to her backpack and rummaged around through it until she pulled out four different colored hoodies and handed each person one.

Tucker got red,

Sam was purple,

Danny was green,

And Jazz was blue.

"It's not much, but it should help. If we pull the hoods up and keep our heads down, it should make it harder for people to recognize us." She stated.

Danny smiled at his sister, revealed that they had persisted on coming.

"Ha ha! This might actually work guys!" Tucker yelled.

In their excitement, the kids hadn't even noticed that the TV had accidentally been turned on until Danny heard his name.

The screen showed a news channel with a reporter saying something about them. _"Danny Fenton is still at large along with his accomplices Jasmine Fenton, Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley._ The screen then showed different pictures of all four kids, including an image of Danny Phantom next to Danny's human picture.

 _"Do not approach, and if you do, use extreme caution, for they are armed_ _and dangerous."_ Danny smirked slightly at that last comment. _Armed with what? A kid with ghost powers?_

The screen then showed an image of Agent K and what appeared to be his Commander. _"Do to the high levels of danger regarding the capture of these four kids, the government had joined forces with a team that has the abilities to apprehend Phantom and his friends._ The kids gasped as the screen them showed _some_ of the members of the team that would soon be hunting them.

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Flash all surrounded each other. Superman then faced the camera and spoke, his voice strong and determined.

" _Even though they are children, they have a ghostly ally with enough power to destroy anything in it's path, given the right desire, and an extensive criminal record. Now that they are on the run, there is no limit to what these children might do, . It is our job to capture these criminals and bring them to justice."_

Danny quickly shut off the small TV and faced his friends, their panic-stricken gazes mirroring his. They stared in shock at each other for a few more moments before Tucker broke the silence with a statement that rang all too true.

"We are so screwed."

* * *

 **Jump City**

 **Titans Tower**

"Dude! They are so screwed!"Beastboy Gawked as he inhaled his tofu-based breakfast, much to the disgust of Cyborg.

"I know. Only a matter of time now before they are caught, now that the Justice League is after them." Cyborg stated.

"Or the government officials." Raven included.

"Indeed. This League of Justice seems quite formidable." Starfire said.

"Well, they're criminals. They'll go down eventually." Robin stated, although he had to agree. Those kids were doomed.

"Man, they better hope they don't end up in Jump." Cyborg smirked.

"Cause then they'll have to deal with us!" Beastboy shouted as he raised a fist into the air, promptly to be brought down again by Raven's magic.

Raven had stayed silent for most of the discussion. She was having trouble believing that these teens really were evil, and Robin was having the exact same thoughts. But before the Boy Wonder could voice his thoughts, a red flashing light illuminated the tower, followed by a blaring siren. "Titans, trouble."

* * *

It was unlike anything Robin had ever seen, and he had seen a lot when he had resided in Gotham with Bruce.

The man had blue skin, gleaming white fangs and black hair that pointed to the sky at the tips. He wore a white suit and a red cape.

"So, you're the Teen Titans I have been hearing so much about?" His voice was deep and laced with mockery. "Shame, I thought you would look a bit more...formidable." The man sighed with mock sadness.

"Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet." Robin snarled as he pulled out his bow staff and leapt for the man, only to have him turn intangible and have him harmlessly pass through.

"What the..." Robin asked himself as he landed back down.

"What? Don't tell me you all haven't seen a ghost before. Well, since this is your first encounter, allow me to introduce myself. I am Plasmius. Vlad Plasmius." He smirked as he raised his hand and fired an ecto-blast at Robin sending him tumbling back.

Cyborg growled and raised his cannon, shooting many powerful blasts from it, only to have the ghost lazily fly around them.

Starfire then clasped her hands together into a fist and brought them down hard on the ghost, sending him crashing to the ground. Once the smoke cleared, the man raised his hands and shot a hard blast at Starfire, sending her tumbling back through the air.

Plasmius then noticed a large green triceratops charging at him. He smirked and turned intangible, watching as the dinosaur gave the man a confused look as to how he hadn't touched him, when he turned his head to face forward, only to slam, head first, into a brick wall.

" _Azarath Metrion Zinthos!_ "

Suddenly, Plasmium felt his body be enveloped in what appeared to be black magic. He whipped his head around, trying to find the source when his eyes landed on Raven.

He smirked and felt the energy building up in his hands. He paused a moment longer, then released, the blinding light and massive explosion drivng Raven and the rest of the team back.

He then gathered more energy into his hands and whipped them down at the ground below the Titan's feet. The road then started to shake and collapse. Starfire grabbed Robin and Beastboy turned into a pterodactyl and grabbed Cyborg, taking off before the earth could swallow them.

Starfire then twisted in the air and threw Robin at the man, foot extended for a hard kick.

It connected, driving the man back as they then engaged in hand to hand combat.

Plasmius ducked and avoided Robin's attacks as they flew at him. He then grabbed the boy's fist as it went past him, much to the boy's shock and lit his hand up once more with energy. Robin screamed at the blinding pain as the energy coursed and crackled throughout his body.

"Robin!" Cyborg and Starfire screamed.

Plasmius then gave them a dark smile and threw Robin in their direction, knocking the three to the ground.

Plasmius then took a deep breath and concentrated, hard. The titans gasped as the ghost then split himself into four more versions. Then, each clone went after a titan.

Cyborg fired relentlessly from his sonic cannon, only for the ghost to turn intangible long enough for him to get close enough to Cyborg to land a hard punch to his chest, driving the teen to the ground.

Plasmius and Starfire circled each other in the air, each throwing blasts at the other, only to have them dodge them at the last second. Plasmius' eyes then started to glow pink, while star's green as the two fired a continuous stream from their eyes, the two beams connecting with a bang. The two pushed against each other, one trying to get the upper hand on the other. Soon, Plasmius' power started to best Starfire's as the pink started to get closer and closer to the tameranian, until the beam reached her, and she was blown out of the sky.

Beastboy transformed into a t-rex and chased after the ghost, until he clamped his teeth around his, entrapping him in his mouth. But his satisfactory was short lived, for all of a sudden, he felt a hot, searing pain in his mouth. He spit the ghost out and reverted back into his human form, whimpering at his newly burned tongue.

Raven threw car after car at the man, hoping to catch him off guard. But the ghost either turned intangible or simply created a shield around himself. He then threw an ecto-blast at the girl's feet, creating a blinding light underneath her, in which she had to shield her eyes. Plasmius took this distraction to his advantage as he sent a kick her way, hitting her in the side, sending her crashing into a nearby store.

Robin tried as best he could to knock the ghost off of his feet, but to no avail. Plasmius sent blast after blast his way, one of them connecting with his shoulder. Robin winced as he felt his flesh being burned slightly. He didn't even notice the blast directed at his chest until it was too late. The force sent his off of his feet, knocking him back down to the ground, where he tried once more to push himself off of the ground, finding it more difficult this time.

Plasmius stared at the teens and the destruction the fight had caused and chuckled, as he gathered his clones together and rejoined back into one ghost.

"Well, that really was fun, but I'm afraid that's all the time I have." The titans all threw him dirty looks. "Oh, don't worry, titans. We'll be seeing each other again very soon. Besides, as much as it pains me to say this, I'm sure you allreally do have more fun when you fight my associate. He has told me so much about you all."

With this, he then disappeared in a swirl of green and pink. The titans remained silent, still in shock at the "fight", if you could even call it that. Robin shakily stood up off the ground, leaning on Starfire and Cyborg as he favored one leg. Beastboy gave one more look around before asking the question that was on all of the Titans' minds. "Ummm, what the heck just happened?"

* * *

Danny slumped back into his seat and rested his head in his hands. Sam, Jazz and Tucker sat around him, patting his shoulder.

"I...it's not as bad as you think." Ticker stammered.

Danny glared at him. "Right, just because my secret was exposed to the world, the government is tracking me, my parents want to rip me apart molecule by molecule, oh, and lets not forget the best part, a legion of _superheroes_ are hot on my tail, hunting me down!" Danny shouted as he got up and began to pace around the confines of the jet.

"Well, when you put it like that." Tucker sighed.

Sam and Jazz got up and walked over to him.

"He's right you know." His sister said. "It could be worse."

"Really, how?" Danny groaned.

"Well... at least you have us." Sam said as all three of them looked at him.

Danny sighed once more and smiled at them. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Tucker faced them and growled." Yeah, yeah, I love ya'll too. Now can we please land this bucket of bolts and find something to eat, before I eat all of you!"

They laughed, their spirits lifted.


	4. Chapter 4: Eating Away Your Problems

**Chapter 4: Eating Away Your Problems**

The trip down to the ground was slow, but not slow enough for Danny.

His friends and sister had tried to convince him that everything would be alright and that they wouldn't be caught, but the boy still had panic in his chest, a feeling all too similar to the feeling he had felt when his secret had been exposed in Amity Park.

Once the jet landed, the four kids slowly and warily looked around. They had landed in a small clearing, surrounded by large oak trees that stretched up the the sky, which was now a shade of gold mixed with crimsons and violets. Barely seen above the tips of the trees, city light could be seen, just starting to come on, signifying that nighttime would soon fall on them. The forest was eerily quiet. Not even a bird sang and the leaves made no noise as they swayed in the crisp air.

"Guess we start walking." Tucker said as they headed in the direction in which they had seen civilization from the jet.

Sam placed a hand on Danny's shoulder as they walked, noticing how nervous the boy was. "Danny, it'll be okay. We'll be fine." She said.

"I know. It's just that…..so many things have gone wrong, it's hard to relax and walk around people, especially knowing that if they find out who we are, they'll freak out and call….well, call everyone. And knowing that only a few days ago, they would have thought of us as regular teens who didn't have to hide like common criminals...!" He clenched his fists in anger, then released then and let them hang limply at his sides in defeat.

"Look, we just have to find something to eat, then we'll get out of here." Jazz said.

"Yeah, man. It's simple." Tucker reasoned.

Danny glanced at the boy. "When has anything we've ever done been simple?" Danny said as he pulled up his hood.

The other three looked at each other, then followed him.

The woods they had landed in overlooked the city, since it was on a hill. The sight didn't lift their spirits, in fact, it might have made them feel worse. Many tall dark building loomed. Factories that spewed constant smoke gave the area a burnt smell. The sound of construction filled their ears. Even in the lowering sun's glow, the city looked dark.

Walking into the small city was much harder than it should have been. All of their nerves were on edge. Any looks their way made their hearts beat two times faster. Danny kept his head down, concentrating on walking quickly.

1...2...3...4...

1...2...3...4...

1...2...3...4...

He would only glance up to make sure he didn't crash into anything, and every time he did, he would see people looking at their small group, giving them suspicious glances, whispering to each other about the strange teens. Danny grabbed Sam and Jazz's hands while Sam grabbed Tucker's. Danny didn't care if the weird looks they got got weirder, the feeling of the others around him made him feel better, and he knew the others felt the same way.

They walked until until they reached a small diner. Danny squeezed the hands he was holding tighter, prompting them to squeeze in return and drop them back down to their sides. Tucker then opened the door

It was small.

That was the first thing Danny noticed. There was a counter on the far wall, parallel to the door, with circular stools that lined up against it. The other walls were lined with about seven booths. A small old fashioned juke-box sat in the corner of the diner, playing a tune quietly, the only sound in the place except for the slight clanking of the silverware as the few customers that sat in the restaurant at their meals.

One of the waitresses that stood behind the counter noticed the four newcomers and rushed up to them. "Welcome to Duke's Diner!" Said the peppy waitress. Her chipper attitude didn't match the restaurant, or the city she lived in. "Let me get you seated." She said as she led them to one of the booths, thankfully in the back of the diner.

Danny sat next to Sam, while Jazz sat next to Tucker. "My name is Kimberly. Can I start you off with anything to drink?" She asked.

"Waters all around is fine." Sam said when nobody spoke up. She quickly disappeared as fast as she had appeared in front of them.

Jazz then prompted to pull out her laptop, one of the things that she had packed, and placed it on the table.

"Okay. According to this, we're in Steel City." She glanced at the screen for a moment longer before speaking again. "Hey, you know, we're pretty close to Jump City."

"Isn't that home to the Teen Titans?" Tucker asked.

Jazz nodded, as Sam thought over the information. "Hey, maybe we should stay in Jump City for a while, once we get there."

Danny looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Why?"

"Yeah, aren't we trying to avoid superheroes?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah, but Jump City is also home to a ton of villains and criminals." Sam said. They looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Tucker asked.

"Not for us it isn't. Jump is so full of bad guys, that the Titans probably won't even have any time to deal with us. And the Justice League would never look for us there."

"Yeah, because even they know it's crazy to run towards a bunch of superheroes when you're on the run." Danny snorted.

"Still, it does make sense. I mean, they'll be so busy protecting their city, they won't even bother dealing with us." Jazz said. They paused when the waitress came back with their drinks. They ordered their food and continued. "So, what? We just camp out in Jump until the government gets bored with us?" Tucker asked.

"Well, what choice do we have?" Danny said. His eyes widened as he remembered something. "That reminds me..."

He pulled out his own backpack and rummaged through it until he pulled out three Fenton Wrist Rays. He gave one of them out to all three of them.

"Okay...thanks, but we can't really wear these around in public." Sam said as they strapped the devices to their wrists. Danny smiled as he took her hand and pushed a small button on the side of the gun, causing it to vibrate and shrink down until it reverted to a simple silver bracelet that sat snuggly on her wrist.

"Cool." She breathed as Danny preceded to do the same to the others. Just as he was finished, the food came out.

They ate in silence, savoring their first taste of food for days. They relished in the silence, especially since Tucker had been complaining to them about his hunger for a while. Once, they were done, they asked for boxes to take with them, considering they didn't know when the next chance to eat would be. Jazz then paid for the meal when they were done. They were just about to walk back out the door, when one of the waiters raised the volume on the small TV on the counter,which was showing following updates about the runaway teens, prompting the group to turn and listen.

 _"Government officials have now gotten a lead as to the whereabouts of The Spectral Suspects, and are now travelling to scope the area."_

"Lead?" Jazz asked

"Scope the area?!" Danny panicked.

" _The Spectral Suspects_? That might be worse than _Inviso-bill_!" Tucker shouted, only to have the others glare at him.

"Okay. Calm down." Sam whispered. "What are the chances they'll catch us here?"

Just as she finished speaking, the door behind them exploded in green and blue smoke. They hurriedly whipped around to see Agents K and O, along with tons of other agents behind them holding guns. "Larger than you think." K smirked as he raised his gun again. "Danny Fenton, you and your friends are under arrest." Danny heard the people behind them gasp at the mention of his name.

Danny glared at the agents and grabbed his friends. "You guys don't give up, do you?" He snarled as he transformed into Danny Phantom and turned intangible, flying through the agents with his friends in hand, and flying high into the sky.

He squinted his eyes, trying to block the setting sun as he hurriedly flew through the air.

"Danny, land!" He heard Sam yell.

"What are you taking about?" Danny asked her.

"Do you want to be blown out of the sky?!" Tucker yelled. Danny turned his head, and his stomach dropped when he saw four jets flying close behind them, lasers pointed directly at him. He dodged one of the shots and roughly landed on the ground.

"Guess we're running" Danny yelled as he pulled his friends off of the ground and ran towards the woods where the jet was, the others close behind him. He heard shots being fired as they zoomed past them. Danny turned and shot a beam of his own, hitting one of the jetpacks that an agent wore, causing him to crash to the ground. "Come on! Keep going!" Jazz yelled.

As they got closer and closer to the woods, fear grew in Danny. _What'll happen if we're caught?_ _What will they do to me? What will they do to them?_ That last thought scared him the most. He could handle whatever they could throw at him, but the thought of his friends and sister being hurt because of him was too much for him.

An explosion next to them threw his thoughts as they tumbled to the ground. Danny groaned as he squinted open his eyes and winced in pain as he turned so that his back was pressed against the ground.

He could feel the wood chips that were embedded in his thigh from the burning trees around him. He sat up and saw his friends doing the same. He was about to rush to them and keep running when a high pitched humming made him face forward. Pointed straight at his face was an ecto-gun, an angry agent at the end of it, finger poised on the trigger.

* * *

 **Jump City**

 **Titans Tower**

"I'm fine!" Robin growled for about the hundredth since they had gotten back f to the tower, Raven had been fussing about his leg.

"This sprain is not fine." She snapped back.

"Neither are your burns." Cyborg added as he handed Starfire the gauve, knowing that she was the only one Robin wouldn't growl at. She gently started to wrap his shoulder and his burned chest, stopping slightly when she would hear him wince. The moment she was done, Robin pulled away, only to be held in place by Raven who was using magic to mend his leg. "Okay, I've reduced the injury, but you still need to take it..." Robin didn't hear the rest as he stormed out of the medical ward. "...easy." She finished with a huff. Cyborg sighed as he placed a hand on the cloaked girl's shoulder.

Robin went right for the computer. He wanted to find out as much as he could about this _Plasmius_ as he could. He curled his fists as he thought of the ghost. He hadn't been beaten that bad by a villain since Sl...

He stopped himself from finishing that statement.

Slade had laid dormant for a couple weeks. He didn't need to think about that headache-inducing topic, not while he didn't have to.

He typed out the ghost's name into the computer and was surprised by how little there was about him. It said that he had first been spotted in Wisconsin at some college reunion. He had been called the Wisconsin Ghost, until later, when he had been spotted in Amity, which is where many believed he still resided.

 _Obviously ha got bored and decided to take a vacation_. Robin thought darkly as he tried not to think about his burns.

One article caught his attention out of the bunch. It was an article about Plasmius fighting Danny Phantom. Robin narrowed his eyes at the mention of the ghost boy. He had been trying to hold out some hope that the boy, Danny Phantom, a.k.a. Danny Fenton was good, but considering he was running from the government, and the justice league, his hope was dwindling. He knew that whenever anybody is running, they are either good guys running from the bad guys, or bad guys running from the good guys, and Robin knew for a fact that the justice league weren't the bad guys. He knew that if he ever got the chance, he would have to interrogate those kids, now being called _The Spectral Suspects,_ if he ever got the chance, especially if the boy had something to do with Plasmius and his _new ally_

He sighed and turned off the computer.

The sun seemed to have set a couple minutes ago. He got up and walked over to the kitchen. He was surprised about how much weight he could place on his injured leg. Raven's getting better. He thought. He would have to thank her later.

Robin was startled when Cyborg called his name. He turned and saw him walking into the room with Beastboy at his side. "Hey, dude. You okay?" Beastboy asked. The changeling had his wrist wrapped in a thin layer of gauve, and Cyborg had repaired the damage that had been done to his suit. The rest of the team knew that Robin had taken the brunt of the beatings. "I'm fine." Robin said quietly.

Starfire then flew into the room, with Raven at her side. "Friends, I am confused. I thought ghosts were nothing but a myth on your world." "Obviously not." Cyborg growled. "Yeah, what was with that guy?" Beastboy asked, remembering the burning of his tongue, which still wasn't fully healed. "I don't know." Robin stated. "But I'm going to find out."

Raven looked at them. "He said we've fought his ally before. Who could he have been taking about?" She asked, knowing for a fact that the man really was a ghost, the energy that he was admitting when they were fighting was spiritually fueled, but there was something that she couldn't figure out about it. Right below the ghostly surface, she could sense something, something that almost seemed...human.

"Well whoever he is teamed up with would probably be as powerful as he is, people like him don't team up with anyone who'll pull them down." Robin stated as he went over their usual list of villains, trying to find out who the ghost could have teamed up with. But the only villain he could think of with that power and viciousness was...

"Guys, you don't think it's..." Cyborg started.

"Slade." Robin finished.

The titans gasped, each of them knowing that he was the only one what fit what they were looking for.

"I do not understand. Slade has never needed the ally before. Why would he team up now, and with a ghost?" Starfire asked. "I don't know. But fighting just one of them is bad..." Robin said. "So fighting both of them..." Cyborg sighed, not even able to finish. Not able to take the silence that followed, Beastboy spoke up. "Hey, we don't even know that they are teamed up yet, it's just a hunch right?" He said, trying to cheer them up, but he new as well as the rest of them that it was true. Slade had a new ally, and he was just as powerful, if not more.

* * *

"End of the line, Ghost Boy!" Agent K snarled, the gun glowing bright.

Danny stared down the gun, fear and dread engulfing him.

Suddenly, a bright green blast hit the agent in the side, barreling him over. Danny looked to the source to see Jazz holding her wrist out, the ray still smoking. "Stay away from my brother!" She snarled.

Danny jumped up, wincing from the pain in his thigh. He grabbed Jazz's free hand and started back towards the woods, the other agents now catching up. Sam and Tucker waited for them and started running alongside them.

"We're almost there!" Tucker shouted. They were now in the woods. The newly made night still showed traces of the sun's last rays as they ran through the dark forest, the shadows making it harder and harder to see.

Once they reached the jet, something dawned on Danny and he stopped. The others looked at him. "What are you doing?!" Sam yelled. "They found us...somehow they found us." He whispered to himself, just loud enough for them to hear.

Tucker's eyes widened as he saw his friend running around the jet. He jumped down next to him and started to search alongside him. His eyes then landed on a small blinking object, about the size of a quarter. "Bingo!" He shouted as he ran over to it, instantly frowning as he came closer.

Danny glanced nervously at the approaching lights of the searching agents. "Can you remove it?" Danny asked.

Tucker looked at him as the girls quickly appeared behind him. "I can, but it wouldn't matter. This was specially designed to emit a specific signature on it's desired target. Even if I remove it, they'll still be able to track it. There is no way to remove its traces completely."

Hopelessness washed over Danny. He looked at his friends in panic, as the lights got closer and closer.

An idea then formed in his head. He turned to Sam and Tucker. "Remember Cape Canaveral?" He asked. They smiled at him, realization hitting them as they dragged a confused Jazz into the jet with them.

Danny turned away from it just in time to create a shield around himself and the jet as the agents broke through the trees. "You can't run, Phantom!" Agent O shouted as he raised his blaster, the other agents around him doing the same. Danny raised his hands and shot a blast of pure ice at their feet, causing the ground around them to become encased in ice. The agents gasped in shock as the rough terrain under them became cold and slippery as they crashed down onto the cold surface.

"Yeah, well now, neither can you!" Danny shouted as he saw his friends and sister race out of the jet, now riding jeeps. They then pressed a button and the wheels twisted to create engines that allowed them to hover. "Come on! Let's get out of here." Danny shouted as he fired at another one of the agents' jets, hitting one of the wings, causing it to spiral out of control as the pilot jumped out with a parachute.

They hovered in the air and followed close behind their friend as they flew off, into the night, a destination now in their sights. Danny glanced over at them.

"Next stop, Jump City!"


	5. Chapter 5: Unjust Actions

**Chapter 5: Unjust Actions**

 **Jump City**

 **Titans Tower**

Robin tapped his fingers against the tables.

"That isn't going to make me go faster, ya know." Cyborg smirked.

Robin looked at him and realized what he was doing. He quickly removed his fingers from the table and gave Cyborg an apologetic look. "Sorry."

Cyborg then continued to work.

"So, do you think it'll work?" Robin asked. Cyborg stopped and sighed, leaning back in his chair. I don't think so. Ghost weapons are very different from regular weapons. I need a sample of DNA from a ghost, or else I'm just making regular weapons, and we all saw how well those worked against him."

Robin sighed and walked out of the room. Two days had passed since their encounter with Plasmius and they still weren't any closer to finding out a way to capture and defeat him He walked into his room and shut the door.

It was dark. That was the first thing about Robin's room that most people noticed. The curtains were always drawn. Being raised by a superhero what lived in the shadows must have rubbed of more on Robin than he liked to admit.

He walked over to his desk, dimly lit by one lamp that perched next to the millions of papers that lay strewn around it. He rummaged through them, until he came to one of the articles that he had printed out about The Ghost Boy and Plasmius. The article described them as enemies, so that was one good thing. _At least they're not allies._ Robin thought darkly.

He started to think more about the boy. Danny Fenton a.k.a. Danny Phantom seemed to be a regular boy, aside from the powers. His friends and sister seemed normal as well.

He wondered how the boy had gotten his powers in the first place.

 _He doesn't seem evil._ Robin thought.

 _But neither did Terra._

Robin frowned as he thought about the girl. She had seemed trustworthy, they had given her their trust. _He_ had given her his trust, and she had betrayed them. He knew that she had sacrificed herself to save them, but he still couldn't shake that feeling of betrayal when he thought of her. But another part of him realized that she had died to save them, to save the city, to save her friends.

Robin glanced down at the image of Danny with his friends. _Would he do something like that for them?._ Robin wondered.

In the video he had seen when the crowds had rushed the boy and his friends when his secret had been revealed, he saw his friends protecting him. But he also saw that when the government agents came at them with guns blazing, the boy's demeanor had changed from fear to determination, as he shifted to guard his friends. _He protected them_.Robin realized.

He wondered where those kids were now. He knew many of the crimes that the boy had committed. Theft, burglary, destruction of property, assault of federal agents and many more. But those crimes didn't seem to fit the boy, at least not the boy that he had watched in the video.

He was confused by the boy. Any interrogation with the kid would be a very interesting one to say the least.

He wondered what the boy would do if he were cornered.

Would he give up?

Would he fight?

If he was protecting his friends, he knew what the boy would do. He would fight with everything he has, just to protect them.

He felt sympathy rising in his chest, only to be forcefully pushed down. Robin shook his head and growled at himself. _What am I doing? I can't feel sorry for the bad guy!_ His emotions were getting the best of him again, and it made him furious. He knew he couldn't look at this case with anymore sympathy, or he could make another mistake, just like Terra, and he swore to himself that he would never let himself or his team fall victim to someone like that ever again. This boy was a wanted criminal. He knew that if he ever got the chance, he would have to bring him, and his frien...accomplices down, any way he could.

* * *

Danny yawned for about the tenth time that hour.

The sun was had now reached it's highest point in the sky, but it did nothing to rid the boy of the waves of exhaustion that ate away at him.

The trip to Jump City, which would have taken one day at most in the Fenton Jet, was now riding on day three. They had only stopped for a short while the day before to rest and finish off the leftovers from the diner (that they destroyed). Danny had been flying non-stop in his ghost form next to the hovercrafts for the most part, only sharing the ride with Jazz when it became to much for him, then he would go back to flying next to them again.

"I think we're getting close." Jazz said. "Maybe another hour, at most."

"Great, cause these seats are really uncomfortable." Tucker complained as he shifted in the seat.

Danny glared at him, as he flew over to him. "Oh, yeah. I bet it's exhausting sitting down for hours. I don't know how you are able to put up with all of it." He spat. Tucker glanced at him. "How hard can it be? You are literally floating on air." Danny looked at him. "Hey, it's not as easy as it looks!" "Neither is sitting on uncomfortable seats fr hours on end!" Tucker shouted back. "Would you two cut it out?!" Sam shouted. "We better get to Jump soon, cause we are seriously running low on gas." She fretted. They flew in silence after that. Finding nothing better to do, Danny gazed at the scenery as it passed below them.

The cold grey city was long behind them. White clouds lingered in the air around them, Danny unconsciously running his hands through them, feeling their cold touch as they dispersed when he made contact. The sun was bright, but not hot, which was good. The flight was hard enough, and they didn't need a blistering heat to slow them down even more. Bright green hills rolled across the land. A bright river that reflected the blue sky cut through the green leading to a densely packed mass of woods. Danny could see that the river then ended abruptly as it rushed over a waterfall. Ha, nothing could get me in that water. He thought and shivered just at the thought of plunging into the icy waters below. He had to admit. the flight through the air really had calmed his nerves, but it could have also been the fact that they hadn't seen any signs from those pesky agents, and even more surprising, the justice league. He thought about Jump City. Where would they stay when they got there? They could always hide out in some abandoned warehouse or factory, seeing as that would be the most viable option. _What'll we eat?_ He wondered. _I guess we could always buy some food, but what'll we do when the money we brought runs out?_ He shook his head, clearing himself from those thoughts. He would just have to deal with those problems when they came up. _Wonder what the Titans are like._

 _What will they think if they find out we're in their city?_

 _Will they come after us?_

 _Will they just be another Justice League?_

 _Will they help us?_

Danny smirked at that last thought.

 _Of course they won't help us. They think we're criminals._

He sighed as gazed down once more at the ground, when once again he yawned, much to his displeasure.

 _What is with me?! It must be after noon. How can I be this tired?_ But his thoughts were interrupted when he saw something approaching them, fast. It looked like a large golden disk mixed with blue and red. Before Danny even realized what was going on, the disk hit him, hard, in the gut. He gasped as the breath was knocked out of him, and he started to fall back down towards the ground. He heard a scream above him. He turned his head and saw his friends jump out of the hovercrafts, right before three large blasts hit them in the sides and caused them to explode. Danny grabbed the three of them and sharply tried to stop their fall.

He succeeded, kind of.

They didn't die, which was good.

They landed roughly, tumbling through the grass until they stopped when they fell into a sandy ditch. Danny coughed and gasped, trying to regain his composure and steady his breathing, he could tell from the sound of heavy breathing that his friends were trying to do the same.

They groaned as they sat up and gazed at each other, confusion in their faces.

"What is with everybody blowing up all of our rides?!" Tucker snapped as he took off his hat, shaking the dust and sand out of it.

"Never mind that! Who the heck threw the death Frisbee?!" Danny yelled.

"And shot us down." Jazz asked.

"That would be us." Said a female voice and male voice.

The kids turned around quickly, and instantly regretted it.

"Crap." Danny whispered.

* * *

 **Jump City**

 **The Pizza Hut**

Robin sat quietly, while his friends bickered as usual as to what kind of pizza they would get.

"Meat-lover!"

"Veggie!"

"Meat-lover!

"Veggie!"

Raven growled. "what is the point of having this pointless conversation every time we come here. We all know what kind of pizza we're getting?" She snarled.

Cyborg and BB, glanced at her and sat down

 _"Meat-lover"_

 _"Veggie"_

They continued to argue quietly.

Robin chuckled slightly. He knew Raven loved them, but sometimes, it was as if those boys _wanted_ her to banish them to another dimension. The waitress came over, and as Raven had said, they ordered their regular plain cheese pizza.

Starfire glanced at the Boy Wonder and frowned. He had been acting strange. "Robin." She called.

He didn't reply.

Raven turned her head and looked at the boy. He was staring intently at a certain spot on the table, his fingers, which were interlocked with each other, slightly covered his frowning mouth.

"Robin." The hooded girl called, a little more forcefully than Starfire.

He jumped and looked at them. Cyborg stopped bickering with his friend and gazed at Robin. "Yo, man. You okay?' He asked. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking." The Boy Wonder said.

It was true. He was thinking. He was thinking about Plasmius. He was wondering how they would get a sample of ghostly DNA to help in the creation of some anti-ghost weapons. He was also wondering about Slade. _Why would he team up, and with a ghost? He's never needed an ally before. Unless he's using Plasmius. But Plasmius seems to be just as sly as Slade, so he would know if something was up._ The whole think irked Robin.

Starfire gazed worriedly at her friends. They all knew that look that Robin had. That was the look he got when he was irked, and when Robin was irked, it meant trouble. But before they could voice their worries, the pizza came out, instantly stealing away the attention of two of the male titans. They instantly snatched a slice when the tray was set down. Raven telepathically reached out and grabbed a slice. Starfire then reached for one and glanced back at Robin, who still hadn't moved. He hadn't even acknowledged that the food had arrived. She reached for another slice and handed it to the boy. He looked at the slice, then at the girl who held it out for him. He smiled at her and took the slice.

He was about to take a bite, when the TV above the entryway to the restaurant changed to a breaking news story, as well as the other screens in the city square. People walking the streets and eating in the restaurant gazed up at the TV's, which showed a reporter.

" _We are live in Steel City, where three days ago, The Spectral Suspects appeared and caused havoc. Behind me, you can see the diner they destroyed. Repairs are now starting to be made to the small place. Government officials have finally agreed to share information as to just what happened here three days ago."_ Next to the women appeared a man wearing a pure white suit and dark black sunglasses. _"Three days ago, we managed to pinpoint the location of the Spectral Suspects to Steel City. He followed the tracker here to this diner where we confronted the teens. They ran, and we gave chase. During the fight, they damaged thousands in government property and wounded some agents. They then abandoned the jet in which they were travelling and took of in hovercrafts."_ The man scowled as he retold the incident. _"Does the government have any leads as to where they might have gone?_ " The reporter asked. _"No."_ The man replied. " _But we have gotten information that The Justice League is making their move to capture the teens."_ He stated. _"Guess it's only a matter of time before those kids are put away. Whether it's by the hands of the government, or the Justice League still remains unanswered. This is Jessica Lewits, from Channel 12."_ The screens then returned back to their original states.

Robin snarled at the report. Those kids were causing more and more trouble every day. Any sense of them being innocent was starting to diminish. Although, deep inside, Robin still had a small spark of hope that they were good, but even that was starting to fade, only to be replaced with anger and a driven determination to bring those kids in.

* * *

Danny looked up at the woman and man that faced them. The women wore a red and blue leotard that separated the two colors with a golden belt that wrapped around her waist. She wore gleaming silver bracelets on her wrists and a golden tiara atop her head. She also had a wrapped whip strapped to her side. But the thing that really caught Danny's attention was the sheild in her hands. The same shield that had knocked him out of the sky.

He glanced over to the man. He wore a red suit with a yellow lighting insignia on his chest as well as his ears, his waist, and his arms. He also wore bright yellow boots. He was grinning, which was odd considering the situation. He held in his hand a large blaster, still smoking from the shot that had knocked down his friends.

Danny was about to speak when he noticed the logo on the blaster that The Flash held.

"W...where d..d..did you g..get that blaster?" He whispered.

The Flash looked down to the weapon. "Oh, this thing? Well some married couple gave them to us, and I must say, I love their taste in jumpsuits." He smirked.

Danny felt his heart drop. His parents had given them ghost hunting equipment. They were helping hunt him down.

Jazz realized this and shook her brother out of his mental state. He knew he needed to focus, for his sake, as well as his friends. He took a deep breath and glared at the two superheroes.

"Ya know, you couldn't find a better way of catching our attention?" He snapped. The Flash smiled. "Sorry about that, but, ya know, most criminals don't just pop down to say hey, so we have to get creative when getting their attention."

"Enough of this." Wonder Woman snapped at the man. She then turned her attention back to the teens. "You kids are coming with us." Danny quickly got up and faced the woman, followed by his friends.

"Ya know, that has been said to me so many times, and yet, here I am. So what makes you think this will be any different?" He smirked as he grabbed his friends.

But before he could do anything, the earth shook as something landed, hard. The kids turned their heads to see Superman standing a few ways off. "Because you have been running for far too long, and it's time you give yourselves up." He said, his voice strong and commanding.

In the air next to him, a black jet was starting to land. Danny could only guess who was inside. Danny stared hard at him. "Sorry, I've never been one for giving up..." He then shot a blast in between Wonder Woman and the Flash, causing them to move and create an opening between them."...Not without a fight!"

He turned back to his shocked friends. "Guys, run! Wait for me in the woods!" He shouted as he pushed his friends out of the ditch and towards the woods. They did what he said and started running. The Flash was about to go after them when Superman stopped him. "No. We can get the humans later. Right now, we have to deal with the ghost." As he finished speaking, Batman lept from the jet, joining the cirle of superheroes that surrounded Danny.

"Where's the rest of your team." The boy asked. "Cleaning up your mess." Superman stated. "Hey, you'd fight back too if they wanted to dissect you!" Danny shouted.

"Still, four against one. Doesn't that seem a little unfair?" Danny sneered as he hovered in the air a bit.

"Criminals don't play fair. So why should we?" Batman growled, his voice dark and menacing.

"Well, considering i'm only fourteen, I just figured you'd alter your techniques. Especially since i'm NOT a criminal!" He shouted, more anger behind the word than he had expected.

"We have a lot of evidence that tells us otherwise." The Flash stated. Danny clenched his fists. "I'm not going to explain myself to you. You're adults. You're just like everybody else. You see words on a piece of paper and instantly believe them." He slowly lowered himself to the ground and let the glow in his hands die. "I don't want to fight you guys." He said.

"Then turn yourself in." Wonder Woman commanded.

Danny shut his eyes and sighed. "I can't do that." He said.

"Then you leave us no choice." Batman growled as he got into a defensive stance.

"No. there's always a choice." Danny sighed as he turned invisible ans started to float towards the woods, only to have something grab him by the ankle and throw him donw to the gruond. He turned visible again and looked at the man that had grabbed him in shock.

"H...how did...?"

Superman hardened his gaze. "What makes you think I can't see you." He said.

Danny groaned as he remembered the man's enhanced vision. Even though others couldn't see him, he was certain he would show up on any other wavelength, visible to the man, besides, Superman could probably also hear him.

"Fine." Danny growled as he got up and his hands started to glow.

"If it's a fight you want..."

He saw the heroes readying themselves.

"It's a fight you'll get!"

* * *

Superman lunged for him, faster than Danny expected. He grabbed him by the wrists and wrestled him to the ground. Danny growled as he then lifted his legs and kicked the man in the gut. In shock at the boy's strength, Superman dropped him, only to have him be engulfed inside a red tornado.

Danny squinted his eyes as dust and sand started to whip back and forth like crazy at the Flash's attack. Danny activated his ice core and released a wave of icy cold. The impact of the freeze knocked the Flash off of his feet as he tumbled to the ground, his body now covered in frost.

Danny then felt his body being tied up as he was that Batman had tied the kid up in some sort of strong wire. He then saw the masked man press a button on his belt and the wire danced as electricity sparked throughout it. Danny screamed as the energy coursed through his body. He felt his ecto-blast building up and he shot it out, breaking the wires that entrapped him.

He turned his head and was instantly hit in the chest by Wonder Woman's shield. He groaned as he heard a resounding crack. He turned intangible and sank into he ground. Wonder Woman glanced around the area, searching for the boy, only to scream out in shock as she was hit from below by an ecto-blast.

Danny reappeared and clutched his chest. Any other person wouldn't have even been able to take a deep breath, luckily, Danny's ghost half was more durable. _Great. This is really going to hurt when I turn back into Danny Fenton._ He thought.

The Flash then zoomed past him, knocking him off of his feet. He raised himself up, only to once again be tossed into the air and crash down hard, in the blink of an eye. Danny growled and placed a hand to the ground, causing it to freeze over just as the red blur zoomed past, causing him to loose control and crash.

Suddenly, Superman flew in front of him and his eyes started glowing red. He fired first, but Danny countered quickly, shooting an icy beam of his own to cancel out Superman's heat vision. The two beams met and pushed against each other. Danny groaned at the strain, and dropped the beam when Superman did. He then fired a blast at the man's chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

He then saw a golden whip twist around his ankle, dragging him down to the ground. _Can't break out of this one._ Danny thought as he saw how the whip glowed, showing it's unnatural power. He then flew down towards the earth, much to Wonder Woman's shock, causing her to loosen her grip on the whip. He then flew back up to the sky, causing her to grab on tightly as her feet skidded slightly on the ground. Danny once again dove towards the ground, straight at the woman. He puled up at the last second, causing the whip to be yanked fro her grip and allowing him to easily slip through it.

He was then hit in the head be something sharp as he fell to the ground and lay on his back. He propped himself up on his elbows and raised a hand to his head, he felt warm blood trickling down his forehead. Batman felt a sharp Batarang in his hand, poised to throw it again. Danny jumped up, and as soon as he did, Batman released. Danny threw his shield up just in time to stop the object as it rammed against the side of the shield, dropping to the ground.

Suddenly, Danny heard a small pop, and the air around him filled with smoke. He coughed and his eyes watered as he tried to get a grip on his surroundings, but all he could see was gray smoke. Then he felt a hard punch to the gut, which sent him tumbling to the floor. He groaned and clutched his stomach. He felt like hurling, but proceeded to stand. Another punch t the face made him angry as he fired a ray around the fog. The silence gave nothing way as Danny listened. He felt a sudden burn as a heat ray was fired, a sharp crack as a shield was thrown, and a hard thud as a shape zoomed past him, whacking him in the chest. He gasped at the blaring pain from the hit to his damaged ribs. His anger bubbled. They were toying with him.

He knew he probably shouldn't, but e saw no other option. He opened his mouth and screamed, waves of energy could be seen as he yelled. After the air cleared, Danny dropped onto his knees, breathing hard, fighting to stay in ghost form. The heroes around him crouched on the ground. They looked at him in shock, unaware of his powerful the teen was.

He flew into the air and faced them. He was breathing hard and his suit was torn, revealing many cuts and bruises. He raised his hands and felt the energy building up inside. He was a bout to fire when he felt lightning coursing through his body. He screamed out in agony and fell to the ground.

The Flash stared at him as he lowered his hands. All of a sudden, the man was knocked back a few feet by a green blast.

 _I didn't shoot that_. Danny thought hazily, still trying to fight the dark spots that swam across his eyes, when he noticed Sam not to far away. She was holding out her wrist, her ray still smoking. Danny's eyes then started glowing blue as he shot a blast at The Flash's feet. He gasped as he fell over, his feet now encased in many layers of freezing ice.

 _Now's my chance_. Danny thought as he zoomed into the air, picked up a protesting Sam, and raced off towards the trees. He could hear Superman and Wonder Woman hot on his tail. He spun around so that his back was to the ground and he was facing is opponents as he shot ecto-blats at them with his free hand. Unprepared for the attacks, the two dropped to the ground to avoid the beams.

He flew as fast as he could, feeling the wind rip around him as he raced towards the woods. Once he entered, he dropped Sam and leaned against a tree. Tucker and Jazz appeared next to him. They tried to help, but he pushed them away.

"Come on. We have to get out of here." He groaned as he pulled at them towards the cliff, where the waterfall churned.

"Why don't you just turn invisible and wait for them to fly past us." Tucker asked frantically. Danny looked over to them. "Superman can see me when i'm invisible, besides i'm pretty sure he can hear me too."

He looked around the area, trying to find somewhere where they wouldn't find them. All he could hear was the roar of the waterfall.

His eyes lit up as realization hit him. He could hear the branches in the trees behind them whipping as someone raced through them. He quickly grabbed his friends and dove over the water fall, towards the icy waters below. "Uh, Danny. Now might be a goo time to PULL UP!" Sam screamed. "Just trust me!" He shouted as they fell closer and closer to the water, their screams echoing off the cliff. They hit the water with a splash. The icy temperature knocked Danny's breath away as he fought the current that tried to keep him under. He felt him friends in his grasp, struggling to reach the surface.

Superman gazed around the area, the roaring waterfall in the background. The Flash zoomed over next to him,now free from his confines. "Do you see them." He asked. "No" He said as he checked the skies once more for him in his invisible form. He couldn't hear them either, for the roars of the waters next to him drowned out mostly anything else. He hovered in the air for a moment longer before turning to the speedster. "Come on. Maybe we missed something." He said as he turned and flew back into the trees, followed quickly by Flash.

Danny's head broke the surface as he gasped for air. But the sudden intake of that much air causing a sharp pain to course through his chest. He cried out and tried to stay afloat. He saw his friends break the surface along with him. They looked frantically at each other as the river dragged them onward. Danny then saw many rocks jutting out of the water. He grabbed one and steadied himself as he thrust out his hand towards Sam. She grabbed it and thrust out her other hand for Tucker, who grabbed onto Jazz, making one long human chain. Jazz then grabbed onto the outer edge of the river and hauled herself up. Once she did, she quickly went back for the others.

As soon as Danny's feet touched solid ground, they gave out, and he collapsed onto his back, his breathing shallow and ragged. "Danny!" They called out as they rushed to his side. Once they did, a white ring appeared and split into two, traveling across his body, until Danny Fenton replaced the ghost boy. "Dude, do you know what you just did?" Tucker asked him. When he didn't respond, he continued. "You just fought the Justice League, and won!" Danny glared at him. "Well, more like a tie." Tucker said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

Jazz crouched down next to him, the first aid kit she had packed in hand. Danny sighed when he saw it. "Guys i'm fine. We should really start walking if we want to get to Jump City before nightfall" He said as he tried to sit up, only to cry out at the pain in his chest. Sam gently pushed him back down.

"Danny you've barely slept for three days, not to mention you just fought a legion of superheros and plunged into a freakin' waterfall. you need to rest, or i'll knock you out myself." The goth girl stated grumpily. Danny thought she was joking, until he saw the look in her eyes and saw that she was serious. He sighed and gave in, letting Jazz wrap his wounds.

When she was done, they helped get to his feet. "Well, if we're spending the night, we'll need someplace to sleep, especially if the steroid-taking superheroes come back." Danny groaned as he tried to walk on his own, only to have Sam and Jazz pull him back.

Sam gazed around the area, until her eyes landed on a large crack in the side of the cliff. She left Danny with his sister and walked over. The crack actually was the opening to a large cave. It was dry and spacious, and the crack was big enough to let someone slip through. She called them over and slipped in. It was cozy and warm, and that sounded perfect to the exhausted teens. Danny fell asleep instantly, closely followed by his friends.

Two o'clock, and they were fast asleep.

* * *

Superman scanned once more and sighed as he floated back down to his waiting team member. He shook his head.

Batman growled and stalked over to his jet.

"They couldn't have gotten far. Not with the boy and his condition."

Superman placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hang on Bruce. Maybe we should wait." When Batman gave him a scowl, Wonder Woman interjected.

"They'll show up again."

"And when they do, we'll get them." The Flash said as he raced up.

"Batman sighed. He knew they were right, but he didn't have to like it.

"Fine. Those kids are lucky."

Superman sighed in relief. Convincing Batman of anything was always a victory, considering how hard it was to persuade the brooding man. He thought about the child they had fought. _He's stronger than I thought._ Superman thought as he gazed at his team. They would never admit it, but the boy had put up a much stronger fight than they had anticipated.

The Man of Steel gazed around the area once more before shooting back up into the air.

Batman watched with anger as Superman flew away. His thoughts then drifted back to Danny.

 _You're stronger than I first thought._ He admitted. _But your luck will run out eventually._ He climbed into the jet. As the hatch over his head closed, his last thoughts still echoed in his head.

 _You're luck will run out..._

 _...eventually._


	6. Chapter 6: Interlude

**Sorry for the short "chapter", but I wanted to show what was happening in Amity while we are following our heroes. Do not fear. I will post chapter 7 quickly after this.**

* * *

 **Interlude: Back in Amity**

Maddie's opened her eyes. At first, she wondered what she would make the kids for breakfast, then everything came crashing back to her.

The fight.

Her son being the ghost boy, looking at her in fear

Running away with his friends and sister.

She took a ragged breath of air, for the memory of her son's face when he saw her still haunted her. She glanced to her side and noticed that her husband, Jack wasn't in the bed. She got up slowly and walked out of the room, not even bothering to make the bed.

She passed the closed doors of her childrens' bedrooms, not able to see how empty they were without them.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and saw that Jack was in the living room, his eyes glued to the TV. She turned her gaze to it and gasped at the sight.

One of the government officials that had talked to them when the whole ordeal had happened was speaking about an encounter that had occured with her son. He described how they had chased her son, only to have him escape with his friends. She clenched her fists and turned the TV off.

Jack stood up and walked over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to the floor.

"Jack...where are our children?" She asked, even though she knew he didn't have the answer.

He sighed and looked at her face. "I don't know, honey. I still don't understand how all of this happened." She walked into the kitchen, followed by his wife. "I mean, all that time, we were hunting our own son!" He cried out as he placed a hand to his head and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs.

"I understand." Maddie whispered, just loud enough for Jack to hear.

"I understand why he hid it from us. I mean, would you have done any different if you were in his shoes?" She asked the man. He lowered his gaze and thought it over. "No." He finally answered. "No, I wouldn't."

They stayed silent for a moment.

"Jack." She asked. He gazed up at her.

"Are you sure we should have given those people ghost hunting equipment?" She asked, remembering when the brightly dressed superheroes had asked for some of their equipment.

"Remember what the Guys In White said. The Justice League would capture them, unharmed, and bring them back to us." Jack said.

Maddie looked at the naive man. "Jack, it's the US government. They lie." She understood why they had given them the weapons. She was afraid that if they didn't comply, that the government officials would suspect them of conspiring with their son and take them in. _I couldn't let that happen._ Maddie thought. _Danny and Jazz need something to return to when they come home._

 _If they come home._

She shook her head to clear herself of the horrid thought. But she knew the truth, and she knew that deep down, Jack knew it too. She looked at him.

"They aren't coming home. Not without help." With that she walked out of the kitchen and ran down the stairs to the basement. There, grabbed a backpack and started stuffing it with some hunting exuipment. I _'ll never hunt my son again._ She thought as she picked up one of the weapons. _So maybe I can put this to better use, like protecting him._ She then raced up the stairs, back to a confused Jack.

"Pack the RV." She said. He looked stunned and grabbed his wife before she could run away again.

"Maddie, what are we doing?" He asked.

She gave him a look of pure determination.

"We're going to go find our children."

Jack thought for a moment, then nodded and ran to go pack the Fenton RV.

Maddie took out her wallet and gazed at her favorite picture, a photo of the whole family, Jazz ten, while Danny was only eight. The kids looked so happy and young as they smiled at each other.

She finally understood.

The growing distance between them,

The scars,

The lies.

She just needed to talk to her boy again. Understand all the "crimes" that she now knew must have been misunderstandings. She needed him to know that it didn't matter to her that he was a ghost. She still loved him with all her heart. She needed to erase the fear that he had in his heart. A fear of his father, and of her. Maddie felt a tear roll down her face as she gazed at the picture once again, at her son's young innocent face.

She knew they had to find them before the Justice League did or the government. She knew the league wouldn't want to see the kids hurt, just brought to justice. But the GIW. She knew about them, and what they did. Her fist tightened around the photo. They weren't going to lay a finger on her children, especially her son.

Jack appeared in the doorway. Maddie looked at him and smiled.

"Let's find our kids."

* * *

Valarie paced back and forth in the small apartment. Four days had passed, and the information still refused to really sink in.

Danny Fenton,

the student of Casper High,

the son of Jack and Maddie Fenton,

the best friend of Sam and Tucker,

the sweet and caring boy that she had a crush on,

was none other than Danny Phantom.

The ghostly teen of Amity Park,

the love of many girls at school,

the source of all of her anger.

She turned off the TV, which had been tuned into a news broadcast describing an encounter with _The Spectral Suspects._

She still didn't understand. _How could he keep something like that from me?_ She wondered, only to roll her eyes at her own question. _Of course he hid it from me. He knew I was hunting him, he knew I hated him more than anything. He was terrified of me._ She sighed. _And yet, he still wanted to be my friend._ She smiled slightly at this realization.

She remembered his face when he realized his secret was exposed. She cringed at the memory of the terror on his face.

 _He's scared. He's running from everybody, and he's scared._ She stood up.

She knew that somewhere in the back of her mind, she was angry at him for keeping is ghost half a secret. But right now, her fear and concern for her friend outweighed every other feeling.

 _I have to find him, help him, anyway I can._ She ran into her father's room.

"Daddy, I have to go." She said, plain and simple. "Go? Go where?" Damon asked.

"I have to find Danny. I have to help him." She claimed.

Damon rushed to his feet. "I don't think so young lady. That ghost is a wanted criminal!"

Valarie groaned, even though she knew her father would be like this. "Dad, it's not his fault!" She cried, remembering when he had tried to explain to he that he was on her side.

"He's not evil. He's just scared. I have to help him. Please! I don't want him to get hurt!" She cried out. Damon saw the look of distress his daughter was giving him. He sighed and got down on one knee.

"You really care about him?" He asked, although he already knew the answer. She nodded vigorously. He thought about it.

"You be careful, ya hear me? And if the government starts to get close, or things start getting out of hand, you come back. Understand." Valarie understood, but that didn't mean she had to listen.

She hugged her dad tightly. and ran to the window that overlooked the city.

"I'm coming, Danny." She whispered as her ghost hunting exuipment started to crawl all around her. She jumped out the window, placing her feet together, creating a sleek black and red hoverboard underneath her.

 _Hold on._


	7. Chapter 7: Revelations

**I must say, the first part of the chapter with Danny and Jazz has to be my favorite part so far. I absolutely love it, and I hope you love it as well. But enough of my blabbering. Go ahead and read it yourself.**

 **P.S.- comments are always welcome**

 **-ribsrock360**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Revelations**

The bright glow of the fire that sat in the middle of the large cavern was the only source of light in the dark. Danny's eyes watched as the flames danced, creating shadows that came alive on the cave walls. The sounds of his friends snores were the only thing he could hear, apart from the waterfall that roared in the distance.

The boy sighed as he rested his back against the wall. The group had decided to stay in the area for one more day, to let Danny heal completely and for the Justice League to get off of their trail. He glanced towards the entrance of the cave. He got up and walked over to it, laying down next to the mouth of the cavern. The millions of stars in the sky all seemed to circle around the bright moon that made the grass and river glow with an eerie light.

Danny glanced down to his leg and took a deep breath. He barely felt any pain anymore, which was good. He hated being one of the reasons his friends were still stuck here. He then gazed back at the silent trees. _Jazz said we were close to Jump City before we crashed. I wonder how long it will take us to get there._ He then closed his eyes and remembered the weapon the Flash had held.

 _I don't understand._

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something brush past him, and he jumped when he saw his sister sit next to him.

He shook his head and looked back at the forest.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" He asked, not looking at her.

"Shouldn't you?" She countered.

Danny chuckled. Jazz placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" She asked.

He stayed silent as he gazed at the forest. Jazz frowned and looked at him. "Danny, you can talk to me, you know." Once again, he stayed silent.

Jazz sighed and placed a hand on him. "Please, talk to me. Maybe I can help. We used to be so close. You would tell me everything, remember?"

She glanced down to the floor. "You've been quiet the entire time we've been running." _Okay, that deserves a glare._ He thought to himself as he shot her a dirty.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't expect you to be singin' show tunes, but still. I just want to know if you're okay." She asked.

For some reason, that made him angry.

"Jazz, I just found out that our own parents are helping the people that want to capture us, that want to destroy me. Would you be okay?!" He growled.

Jazz stayed silent for a moment before responding. "No."

Danny sighed and placed his head in his hands. "I don't understand, Jazz. I mean, I know they hate ghosts, they've been hunting them probably since they've been able to hold blasters and say the word _ghost,_ and I know they hate Danny Phantom. But I thought..." His voice faltered. He cleared his throat and continued. "I thought that when they found out that the ghost boy was their own son that they would understand, that they would accept it, that they would stop hating so much because it was...me."

He hugged his knees as tears escaped and slid down his face.

"I guess I was wrong."

* * *

Jazz stayed silent. Not knowing what to say, and she hated it. She always knew what to say. She was the smart, level-headed one that always knew what to do. But now, her baby brother was sitting on the floor of a dark cave, crying into his knees, and she had no idea what to say to make his pain disappear. Danny was never like this. He had to put up with so much.

School,

Ghost hunting parents,

Protecting a whole city that saw him as an enemy

Defend himself from government officials that wanted to rip him apart.

But through it all, he always kept a level head.

He barely complained, he didn't get angry at us, didn't yell at our parents, and always found a way to help his friends, and NEVER cried.

But here he was, bawling into his knees at the situation,

at the hate,

at the frustration,

at the guilt,

at the world.

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She rubbed his shoulder, letting his tears roll down his face as he let all the emotions he had bottled up out.

 _Good thing his friends are asleep. They don't need to see him like this._

Danny finally calmed himself enough to speak.

"You should go." He said in a voice that was calm and collected, nothing that matched the tear-stained boy in front of her.

"You should take Sam and Tucker and go back to Amity. The government will probably leave you alone if you tell them I kidnapped you."

Jazz's mouth hung open at what her brother was saying.

 _Does he really expect me to do this?_

"Danny..." She started, only to be cut off by the boy.

"Jazz! I know what you're going to say.

That you won't leave me...

How we're in this together...

But... I'm not worth it."

He hugged his knees tighter as more tears fell down his face.

"You guys don't deserve this. Don't deserve to be hurt, to starve, to sleep in cold caves. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this. But you should leave. Go back to Amity and live a normal life with a normal family and normal friends. Go back to Mom and Dad. " He stopped and stared at the floor.

"No point in them loosing both of their kids." He whispered as the tears continues to stream.

Jazz felt her fists clenching as she grinded her teeth in anger. She placed both hands on her brother's face and raised his head to look her straight in the eye.

"Danny Fenton, you listen to me. You get these thoughts out of your head. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, or where you go, I will always go with you. I will always make sure you're all right, and I'm pretty sure your friends would agree with me. I don't care that the government if after you. I don't care that the Justice League is after you. I wouldn't even care if the President declared you the most dangerous creature ever to walk the face of the earth. We are siblings, and nothing is ever going to break the bond that we have. I am never going to leave you, Danny, because you ARE worth it. You help people, you save lives, you juggle it all, because you are worth it. You've saved the world from ghost invasions to evil futures. You have done incredible things, Danny, because YOU are incredible, and I am SO proud to be your sister." Jazz cried out as tears fell down her face, much like her brother, who wept silently as she spoke.

"We will never be normal, Danny. We can never live a normal life, we can never have a normal family. But I don't want a normal family. I don't want a normal life. Not if it means loosing you. I love you Danny, more than anything. I am never going to let you tackle these challenges by yourself. I am not going to leave you to fend for yourself. I am never going to hurt you. So you can stop trying to push us away, because it is never going to happen. I can handle the dangers, Danny. I can handle the problems, the starvation, the cold environments, and the tough arrangements. But I can't handle abandoning you." Her hands trembled as she poured everything out. Danny shut his eyes, trying to stop the steady flow of tears, to no avail.

I don't care what the government thinks. I don't care what the world thinks. I don't even care what our parents think. You're more than just a ghost. You're my brother. You're Danny Fenton, the most interesting kid in the whole world! And if our parents can't see how amazing you are, how wonderful you are, how sweet, loving and caring you are, then I want nothing to do with them. If they only see a ghost, then I will only see ghost hunters. So if they lose you, they lose me too." She chuckled softly. "It's all or nothing with us." Danny smiled as Jazz pulled him into a hug.

Together, the fourteen year old boy and sixteen year old girl wept silently in each others arms like they did when they were children. But they didn't care.

* * *

Danny couldn't believe it.

He was crying. He NEVER cried.

Yet he was, and he couldn't stop.

He wept silently in his sister's arms, buried in her embrace on the cold cave floor.

It was hard to believe that his sister,

his snobby,

overbearing,

annoying,

overprotective,

know-it-all sister loved him so much that she would throw her life away, for him, a freaky boy with freaky powers. It made him cry even harder.

Eventually, the fire's light started to grow dimmer, the night sky started to get lighter, and their cries ceased, but they didn't let each other go.

Danny curled up on the floor of the cave, his head resting on his sister's chest. She had an arm wrapped around his shoulder, and another on his cheek as they fell asleep in each other's arms, just like they used to do when they were younger and Danny would nave a nightmare. Jazz would always comfort him and let him sleep in her bed as she cradled him in her arms as they slept. The memory of that bringing a small smile to Danny's tear-stained face as he fell asleep.

* * *

 **Jump City**

 **Titans Tower**

The blaring of the crime alert jolted Robin out of his fitful sleep as he lept from his bed.

He ran into the hallway and saw his teammates exiting their rooms as well. "Titans, GO!"

Cyborg ran to the T-car while Robin jumped onto his motorcycle. Beastbot morphed into a falcon and flew right behind Starfire and Raven as hey approached where the alert had come from.

Not many people were out, considering it was around four in the morning.

As they approached the scene, they slowed and stopped at what they saw.

"Crap!" Robin cursed as he saw the ghosts that were destroying the downtown area.

One of them looked like a floating octopus. It was a glowing green with wispy tentacles that seemed to flicker and move like fire. It's razor sharp teeth gleamed in the light as it tore apart a car.

The other was worse. It was much larger and seemed to be a sort of wolf-like creature. It had a long tail that moved much like the octopus' tentacles. It had two horns that protruded from it's head and two large bat wings that scrapped the ground, leaving deep scratches in the pavement. It's glowing red eyes stared at Robin as it opened it's mouth to reveal many sharp teeth. It snarled and charged.

"Titans, Go!" Robin shouted as he jumped over the ghost as it charges. He brought his staff down on the creature's head as he did so, hitting it in between the eyes. It roared and smacked the boy with one of it's wings. Cyborg then shot at it with his cannon, driving the creature back. It growled and placed it's wings in front of it, like a shield, the blasts bouncing harmlessly off of it.

Starfire then shot starbolts at it and the ground around it. The pavement underneath it broke as he fell through. She landed with a smile, until the creature then flew out of the hole. The tips of it's wings glowed an eerie green as it flapped it's wings and two shots came from the wings, hitting the tameranian, sending her to the ground. Raven coated the car that the creature had totaled with magic and sen it hurtling at the creature. It landed on him and he cried out as the large object crushed it. Suddenly, the metal shook and creaked as the creature somehow phased through the car, much to Raven's shock. "Great, more ghosts." She growled as the creature then shot a beam from his eyes, hitting the girl in the chest, sending her back.

Beast Boy faced the octopus. He transformed into his own version of the slimy creature, and the two wrestled on the ground. The octopus then unexpectedly bit one of Beast Boy's tentacles, causing the boy to revert back to human form and cry out. "Ow, ow, ow! Dude, did you just bit me?! You BIT me! That's just wrong!" He shouted, only to be cut off when the octopus wrapped one of it's tentacles around Beast Boy's mouth and lifted him off of the ground.

Beast Boy struggle and squirmed in the ghost's grip. He then morphed into a large gorilla and pried the ghost off of him. Just then, the ghost was blown to the ground by one of Robin's disks. Beast Boy then launched the Boy Wonder into the air, towards the ghost. He landed on top of the octopus and placed a beeping device on teh top if it. He the jumped off just as the device exploded, taking the ghost along with it. A glowing green substance then rocketed towards then, staining the ground. "Ewww, gross!" Beast Boy whined as he looked at the green slime that covered his suit. "What is this?!" He asked. Suddenly, he was thrown into a nearby building by the second ghost.

It jumped into the air and flapped it's wings, creating a breeze strong enough that it knocked the Titans off of their feet. Cyborg blasted at the creature next to Starfire, who shot at it with starbolts. But the creature continued to charge them as it turned a bluish hue and the blasts harmlessly passed through him, much to their confusion. Once the wolf was close enough, it turned to it's side and knocked the two titans away. Raven floated in the air next to it. " _Azarath Metrion_..." Before she could finish her chant, the wolf opened it's mouth and barked. The sound was so loud that the windows in the buildings around them shattered as Raven put a hand to her ears to stop them from ringing. The wolf to this opportunity to knock the girl out of the air straight at Robin, who caught the falling girl, only to crash to the ground with her.

Beastboy then transformed into a triceratops and charged at the ghost. He slammed into it, causing the create to crash into one of the nearby cars. He fired the lasers from it's eyes, hitting Beast Boy in the chest. He crashed to the ground and reverted back into his human form. He groaned as he pushed himself up, only to be pinned down by the ghost. He let out a high pitched scream as the wolf opened his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth. But before he could inflict any damage, he was encased in magic and hurled back. Beast Boy quickly scampered to his feet, standing next to him was Raven. "Thanks." He said to the cloaked girl. She nodded and flew back into the battle, Beast Boy at her side.

"I think it's time to end this!" Robin shouted to the team. He then turned to Cyborg. "I got the sonic, if you got the boom." The robot smirked. Robin smiled and ran towards the ghost. He ran to the side and propelled himself off of one of the nearby building walls, hurling one of his disks in the ghost's direction. Cyborg charged his blaster. One the disk was close enough, Cyborg released a bright blue shot, hitting the disk mere feet from the ghost. It exploded in a blinding white light that made them all cover their eyes. Once the light faded, all that was let of the ghost was the same green goo that the other ghost had been made off.

The team sighed, revealed it was over. Beast Boy looked at m=himself and grimaced. "Okay, what the heck is this stuff?"

"Ectoplasm." Raven stated.

The team looked at her with bewildered looks. "It's what all ghosts are made of." SHe explained.

Robin then got an idea. "Hey Cyborg." The robotic teen looked at him. "Think you could make some anti-ghost weapons with this?" He asked as he pulled some of the green goo off of the sidewalk and tossed it the the robot.

Cyborg looked at it and grinned.

* * *

Danny shielded his eyes from the sun as they walked.

They had left the cave earlier in the day and were now headed for Jump City.

"So, what do we do when we get to the city?" Sam asked the group as they walked alongside the road, which they had been walking for hours, much to their displeasure. "We should probably find shelter first." Jazz said. Danny nodded his head. "Yeah, once we get settled, we can decide what to really do."

"Okay...so where ARE we going to stay?" Tucker asked. "Like we said before, we should just find a decent warehouse or factory that's been abandoned, and it shouldn't be hard, considering the size of the city." Sam said. "It's not really where we'll stay that's conserrning me." Danny said as they continued to walk, keeping their heads down as a lone car passed. "It's really who we'll have to avoid once we are there." He said.

The Teen Titans were really starting to worry him. If they were caught, they would definitely either turn him into the GIW, or the Justice League, who would THEN turn them into the GIW. Either way, they were going to those sleezy marshmallows. "Like I said before, Danny. As long as the titans have some villians to keep them occupied, they won't have any time to come after us. And the Justice League would never suspect that we'd come to a city that is protected by a bunch of superheroes. It's crazy." Sam explained.

"Yeah, that's what we said." Tucker smirked, resulting in him being punched in the arm by Sam. "Like you could come up with a better plan, Genius." She growled. "I bet I could come up with something better than running towards the people who want to catch us!" Tucker snapped. Sam glared at him. "Hey, guys. Focus." Danny said as he got in between the two bickering teens.

"Yeah, shockingly, fighting with each other isn't really going to help us." Jazz said. The two teens sighed and continued down the dirt path.

"So, how much money do we still have?" Tucker asked.

"Together, we probably still have a few hundred. But we'll have t ration it, for food and clothing." Jazz said as she calculated the amount of money the two probably had combined.

Danny saw that they sun was now starting to get lower in the air. Great, day...five...six? Whatever, doesn't matter anyway. Danny sighed. He turned and looked at Jazz and remembered their talk and his negative thoughts cleared as a small smile crept up onto his face. If anything good came out of this situation, it would be Sam and Tucker throwing down eventually, and getting closer to his sister in ways he never thought possible.

"So, if the Titans start getting to close to us, I have a plan." Sam said. "Great, another brilliant ideaa. I wonder if it will be as good as your last one." Tucker sneered. "Do you want a black eye, Foley?" Sam snarled as she raised a fist. Tucker raised his hands as a sign of surrender, and Sam continued.

"As i was saying, if the Titans aren't distracted enough by a villian, then we'll just have to make one."

"WHAT?!" They screamed.

"Okay, I take it back. This is WAY worse than your last plan!" Tucker shouted. "Relax, and let me explain." Sam said.

"Please do, because so far, this plan sounds horrible." Danny stated.

"Okay. I am saying that to gt the Titans off of our trail, we will have to distract them with a new group of villians." Sam said.

"Okay, that doesn't make me feel any better about this plan." Danny sighed. "What if they find out it's us. I don't think the whole _we're innocen_ t plea will work if we actually commit a crime." Danny explained. "We won't actually do anything wrong. We'll just show up at different crime scenes and maybe take out the actual villains, but we can annoy the titans, getting them off of our backs." The girl explained.

Danny sighed. He still hated the plan, but worst case scenario, it was their best shot. But before he could voice his thoughts, a glowing sign caught his attention as well as the rest of the team. As soon as their eyes landed on it, their moods lifted as they started yelling and cheering in their excitement. Never before had Danny been so happy to see a sign so simple.

 ** _You are now entering Jump City_**


	8. Chapter 8: Welcome to Jump

**Chapter 8: Welcome to Jump**

Danny sighed in relief and closed his eyes as his friends cheered around him.

"Finally!" Tucker screamed as he fell to his knees and dramatically raised his arms to the sky. Sam and Jazz hugged each other at the sight of the city. And what a sight it was.

The setting sun cast a golden glow on the land. The large glass building that stretched up and touched the sky sent glares at the group as they caught glints from the sun. The people that could be seen were bustling around the streets. A shimmering bay saw seen to the right of the city, and in the middle of the bay, overlooking the are was a large tower in the shape of a capital _T_.

 _Titans tower._ Danny realized as he gazed at the large structure, anxiety stirring in his stomach. But he pushed it down and joined his friends in celebration.

They had made it.

After a while, they decided to start travelling down to the city.

"Okay, so, step 1...finding a place to sleep." Danny said as they walked down the sidewalk along the bridge that connected the city to the rest of the land. "Remember, all we got to do is find a decent empty building and we're good." Sam said as she gazed out at the water as they walked.

"Okay, then after that, we should go and find something to eat, considering it's been a few days since we've eaten." Jazz said. "Yeah, Tucker's made it hard to forget." Danny smirked as he gazed at the geek. "Hey, I have a strict regiment that need to be followed, and lately, I've been neglecting Chester!" He shouted.

Everybody turned and faced him in confusion.

"Uhh, who's Chester?" Danny asked.

"Oh, Chester's my stomach." Tucker explained nonchalantly. Sam slowly backed away from the boy and scooted behind Jazz as she asked. "You...named your...stomach...Chester?" "Why not?" They boy said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Okayyy...why Chester?" Jazz asked.

"Chester the Digester" Tucker smirked. The group stared at each other for a moment longer before bursting out in laughter.

"Tuck, you have to be the weirdest guy I have ever met. And I fight ghosts!" Danny gasped out as he doubled over in laughter.

"Okay...so after we're settled, we'll go and take care of...Chester." Jazz said with a glance at Tucker. "Thank you." The boy smiled.

After they crossed the bridge, they walked along the streets of the city, the lights from the buildings and lamps now illuminating their path as the sun set behind the hills.

Up close, there were much more people than they thought. With the time of day that it was, there were many people out.

The kids walked the city, glancing around at the signs, trying to familiarize themselves with what was around them.

"Okay, the best places to hide will probably be at the outskirts of the city. We should try and head there." Jazz said as they walked.

"Great. Can't wait to see our five star abandoned warehouse." Tucker sighed.

"Look, it may not be the best..." Sam growled. "But it beats sleeping in a cave." Danny finished. Jazz was about to say something when suddenly they heard a large crash. They shouted as the street under their feet started to shake and crack. They jumped away as the road crumpled where they had been.

"Woah!" Tucker shouted as he glanced over to his friends. "What was that?" Danny asked as he rubbed his head and stood on his feet. He looked at the people around them as they started running away. _That can't be good_ Danny sighed mentally as he surveyed the area, trying to see what everyone was running from when his eyes landed on a group that had just appeared out of a now blown up bank.

One was a girl with pink hair that pointed up towards the sky that reminded Danny of Vlad Plasmius. She wore a black suit with traces of purple throughout it with a purple shawl draped over her shoulders. She wore black and purple wtriped tights, and her eyes were pink and cat-like. She held a bag that Danny could infer was filled with money. She also wore a shiny gold necklace around her neck and long hoop earings that probably weren't hers. But what suprised Danny was her free hand, which was glowing an electric pink. Overall, she reminded Danny too much of Vlad.

One of the others was a boy. He was small, very small. He wore a large contraption on his back that sprouted spider legs that suspended the kid a couple feet in the air. His bald head held a pair of goggles, and in his hands, he held a controller that probably controlled the robot on his back that supported him.

The last guy was also a boy, but he was huge. He had orange hair and a small goatee. His suit was black with a yellow _H_ across it. He was much taller than his allies by a good few feet. He also held most of the stolen money.

"Man..." Sam breathed as her gaze fell on the trio. They then turned there heads to us, seeing as we were the only people who hasn't gone running off in panic and were not cowering in the background, still watching the encounter. "Well, well. Who are these scrum-buffers?!" The smallest boy asked. "I don't know." The girl said as she tilted her head as she gazed at the group with her cat-like eyes. "But they're either braver than most of the losers in this city..." she continued. "Or dumber." The large boy finished as he glared at the small group.

Danny stepped in front of his friends as they started backing up along with him. "Danny, remember, you can't "go ghost", or everything will unravel." Sam whispered to him as they kept backing up, keeping their eyes locked with the supervillians. "I know...but...now what do we do?" Danny asked through clenched teeth. They were about to run, get out of there before things got ugly, or worse, the Titans showed up. But before they could turn and flee, Danny felt the road start to crumble under them once again as he saw the girl pointing her finger at the ground, causing surges and waves to course through it and cause it to shatter apart. His friends jumped to the left, while Danny the right, sadly, closer to the villainous teens. Danny's head was down when he saw a purple booted foot in front of his face. He slowly raised his head and saw pink eyes glaring back down at him, then watched as they turned into mischief.

"Actually, he's kind of cute." The girl smirked. _Great. Now I got a crazy girl with a crush on me_. He sighed as he suddenly twisted himself around and brought his legs swinging towards hers, knocking her legs out from under her, causing her to crash to the ground. "Sorry. But crazy isn't my type." Danny sneered as he jumped to his feet and ran over to his friends. "So they're dumber." The small one said as his robot shot out a series of small missiles. Danny gasped and jumped to the side as the missiles crashed to the side of him and his friends.

"Great. We just managed to make the local villains pissed at us." Tucker sighed as he jumped to his feet, along with Sam and Jazz. Each of them placed a button on their bracelets, instantly transforming them into rays. Danny placed his hand over his back and pulled out the ecto-staff from the backpack on him. He turned and faced the now angry group of teens. "Okay, once the Titans get here, we're gone. Once they do, don't for any reason, let them see your face." Danny commanded. Just as he finished, the largest teen reared up and charged at them. Sam and Jazz moved to the right, while Tucker moved to the right. Danny stayed in place. Once the behemoth was a few feet in front of them, he dodged around his, tripping the kid on his way by, sending him crashing to the ground. He could hear Tucker facing the robot spider teen while Sam and Jazz faced off against the large boy.

Danny faced the pink haired girl. He twirled the staff in his hands. The girl smirked at his as her eyes started glowing as the broken glass and pieces of cement started to levitate and point at him. He twirled the bow staff as fast as he could as the pieces hurtled towards him, the shape of the staff blurring as the pieces harmlessly thwacked against it. But before Danny could turn back to face the girl, he felt a swift kick in between his shoulder blades. He groaned as he fell to his knee, He grabbed the girl's foot and twisted, sending her face first into the cement. He then jumped up and whacked her int he shoulder, causing her to go tumbling across the pavement.

He turned to his friends. He saw that Tucker had hacked into the boy's machine and was now messing with him, having the legs reach up and whack the boy in the head over and over again., causing the boy to shout out random words that were probably meant to be insulting. Sam and Jazz had tired out the large boy with their blasts. He lazily swatted at them, only to have them split up in two different directions, confusing the boy as to who he should follow. Danny smiled slightly as the two girls taunted the teen as they messed with him.

His smile vanished when he felt a blast of energy hit him in the side, sending him crashing to the ground. He clutched his side as he faced the furious girl. Her eyes glowed electric pink as she sent wave after wave shooting straight for him. He twisted and dodged them, sending his own shots with the tip of the staff.

She growled and turned back towards the ground again. She shot at Danny once more, causing him to jump into the air at the low blast. But as he was in the air, she sent a shot to the now crumbling road, completely destroying it, creating a gaping hole Danny's eyes widened as he came crashing back down towards the ground, only to not have anything there. He screamed as he fell through. But before he could completely fall into the darkness, his hand reached out and just barely grabbed onto the edge of the hole. He threw the staff up over the edge, freeing both of his hands as he grabbed the edge with both of them. He tried to push himself up, which would have been a relativity easy task, given his ghostly strength, if it hadn't been for the girl that now hovered over him. She raised her hands, now filled with hot pink energy. She snarled as she brought her hands down towards her victim.

* * *

Robin zoomed through the city on his motorcycle. The T-car sped next to him, holding Raven and Beast Boy, as Starfire flew right above it. The crime alert had mentioned that the Hie were causing trouble in the downtown area, and that there were some civilians battling the villains. Robin could barely believe that. The Hive crew were commendable opponents for the superhero team. He couldn't comprehend that regular civilians were battling them. But sure enough, as soon as they started getting close to the scene, fighting could be heard. Robin saw a group of people watching from behind cars and buildings, as the battle took place, and Robin couldn't believe his eyes.

There were four teens battling the Hive.

One was a boy in a red hoodie. He was battling Gizmo with his spider pack on his back, raising him off of the ground by a few feet. The money that he was probably holding was scattered on the ground. The hooded boy seemed to have a PDA in his hands and he was pressing all sorts of buttons on the machine, causing Gizmo's robot to malfunction and spin out of control.

The second and third were working together to take down Mammoth, and both seemed to be girls. One wore a purple hoodie, while the other wore a blue. They were shooting the large boy with wrist rays that they wore as they split up and ran around the villain, confusing him as he tried to figure out who to follow.

The last was another boy with a green hoodie, and he was battling Jinx. Robin knew from first-hand experience how difficult an opponent Jinx was. Her magic was hard to counter with hand to hand combat. But sure enough, the boy was holding his own. He held a large staff that was glowing green. Jinx shot him in the side and he went tumbling. Jinx's eyes glowed as she shot a low blow at the boy's knees. He jumped into the air, avoiding the shot, only to fall into the crumbling hole that Jinx had created under him. He screamed as he fell in, only to grab the edge. He threw his staff over the edge. Robin watched as it clattered off to the side of the road.

"Titans, GO!" Robin shouted as he saw Jinx raise her hands above her head, ready to strike the boy down into the sewers below. Robin remembered when he fell into those waters, and he knew it wasn't a pleasant experience. He slammed his bow staff into Jinx's stomach before she could harm the boy. He then reached his hand down and held it out for the boy, who stared at it, then raised his gaze to stare at Robin. The Boy Wonder felt himself pause when his gaze landed on the boy's eyes. They were a piercing ice blue. Robin's thoughts were thrown when the boy reached out for his hand, roughly grabbing it.

Robin pulled the boy up. He stared at The Boy Wonder with fear, which was something Robin didn't expect. _Why is he afraid of me?_ Robin wondered. "Look out!" The boy screamed as he rammed into Robin, sending both teens to the ground as a bolt of pink energy rushed past them. The boy looked at Robin once more, before bolting upright and gathering his friends.

"Wait!" Robin shouted. The teen looked at him once more as he guarded the hooded teens behind him, then bolted into the shadows, the other three teens close behind him.

Robin then turned back to Jinx, and finished her off, cuffing her and bringing her to sit with her fallen comrades. The rest of his teammates stood next to Robin.

"Please, who were those others?" Starfire asked.

Robin stared at the road, which was now crumbling and destroyed, along with many of the surrounding stores.

"I don't know, but I want to find out."

* * *

Danny panted as he ran, his friends close behind him. They finally stopped when the downtown area was far behind them.

It was quiet.

The few trees around them were bare with only a few leaves. The grass was dead and wilting, and a small factory sat in the middle of the property. A gleaming silver fence with barbed wire outlined the building with a _KEEP OUT_ sign smack in the middle.

"Hello new hideout." Danny sighed as he grabbed his friends and phased them through the fence.

"Guess 'trespassing on private property' is the least of our worries now, huh?" Sam chuckled as they walked around the building. It seemed to be secure and abandoned. No large cracks were visible and the windows weren't in the worst condition. Danny grabbed them once again and phased hem in.

It was dark. Sam walked along the edge of the walls until her hand touched a switch and she flicked it up. The bright lights above their heads turned on, revealing their new hideout.

The walls were a deep grey. There were many thick pipes that lined the walls, leading into a room that could be inferred as the work station of the factory. Small drips from the ceiling created puddles on the cracked floor. A rat scurried across there path, much to Jazz's displeasure, and disappeared into a hole at the base of one of the far walls.

"Well, it's not much...but it's something." Danny sighed as he placed his back down onto the floor and sat down, exhausted at the day's events, closely followed by his friends.

"Okay, not that sleeping on cold stone isn't awesome, but..." Tucker sighed.

"Already got that covered." Danny smiled as he pulled out four capsules. He placed one in he middle of his palm and walked under one of the drips in the ceiling. Once the water came into contact with the small capsule, it suddenly burst out, creating a large sleeping bag.

"Cool" Sam and Tucker breathed. Jazz smiled at her brother, remembering her own experience with the Fenton Capsules. Danny repeated the process three more times, until they each had there own sleeping bag.

"Okay. Step two...food" Danny said, yawing in the middle of the sentence. Jazz placed a hand on her brothers shoulder. "Maybe we should get something tomorrow, when everything calms down" Jazz said as she grabbed one of the sleeping bags.

"Okay...but don't blame me if Chester gets angry." Tucker sighed as he grabbed his own bag.

"Oooo, I'm so scared." Sam sneered as she grabbed her bag and placed it on the floor. Danny placed his next to hers and Jazz and Tucker did the same. They fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the soft material.

* * *

Robin walked down the dark hallway, headed once again for his room.

"Robin." He stopped at the sound of his name. He turned and saw Starfire gently floating behind him. She landed onthe ground when Robin turned to her.

"You have been...busy lately. Are you alright?" She asked, concern clearly written on her face.

"I'm fine, Star." He said as he turned, about to continue, when Starfire gently grabbed his shoulder.

"Are you certain? Because..." Robin cut her off. "Star, I'm okay. I promise. I know I've been a little...busy lately, but...I'm okay...promise." He said with a small smile.

Starfire gently smiled and watched as he opened the door to his room and waled inside.

Robin sighed as he entered the room, but for some reason, he was on edge. It was as if someone was with him in the room. He remembered that feeling. He knew it all too well, and it was never wrong.

"Who's there?!" He growled. Suddenly, a tall figure moved out of the dark shadow in the corner of his room, forming a man in a dark suit with a black mask over his face.

"Bru...Batman?" Robin asked with confusion laced in his voice at the sight of his former mentor.

"Robin." Batman said curtly.

Robin's mind raced. What was he doing here? Has he come to see me?

"I come with a warning, about some criminals that might pass through here." He said.

Robin sighed. Of course it was about work. What else could it be about? He mentally kicked himself for wondering if it was about him.

"We can into contact with The Spectral Suspects a couple days ago and before we intervened, they were headed in this direction. The rest of my team is scouring the other cities on their path." Batman stated. Robin narrowed his eyes. Maybe he'd get the chance to capture these kids after all. "Just be wary. They are stronger than we first thought." His old mentor continued. Robin clenched his fists. He was still treating him like a child. He could take care of himself. "I appreciate the warning, but my team can handle it." Robin said curtly.

Batman sighed. He knew this might be his reaction, but he still wanted him to be ready. He looked at the boy with an emotionless gaze and nodded his head. "If you encounter them, call the league, and we'll handle it." He continued. Robin narrowed his eyes. "I said my team can handle it. We can take them on ourselves. We don't need you interfering." He growled.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Dick..." He cautioned. "Don't call me that." He snarled at his former mentor. "If we encounter them, we'll handle it, just like everything else we've handled. We don't need you help." He stated, trying to get his frustration under control. Batman sighed as Robin turned his back and faced the dimly lit table to the side. He placed his hands roughly on the cold surface and stared hard at the articles that he had scattered across it. He turned back towards the shadowed corner, and saw with little surprise that Batman was gone. "Show-off." He muttered.

* * *

Batman studied the large monitor. The video feed of the Ghost Boy and his friends frustrated him.

Superman walked behind him. "Something troubling you?" He asked. Batman turned back towards the monitor. "Something doesn't add up. Look at the way he is standing. That isn't an offensive stance of a criminal. That's a defensive stance of someone trying to guard someone." He stated as he watched the boy covering his friends.

"The government is issuing him as a dangerous criminal, but you'r having doubts?" Superman asked, curious, although, he was having similar thoughts. "The government isn't always right." Bruce growled. The kid didn't seem like much, but he knew from the battle that he was plenty powerful.

"Once we get them, I want to talk to the boy." Batman stated finally.

"Talk, or growl at him." The Flash snickered as he zoomed up next to the man of steel. Batman glared at him, causing him to take a step behind Superman.

He walked off, away from his teammates, and the monitor. His talk with Robin still sat fresh in his mind. He was stubborn, that was certain. _Just like me_. Bruce mused. He secretly hoped that The Spectral Suspects had ended up in Jump City, because he knew that if the were, they would eventually be caught by the Teen Titans, and once they were, Robin would get to the truth. He knew he would.

"Help this kid, Dick. Before things get out of hand." Batman silently asked, for he knew that if his team found the kids first, they were doomed.


	9. Chapter 9: In The Big City

**Chapter 9: In The Big City**

Danny slowly cracked open one of his eyes and squinted it back shut as a stream of bright sunlight shone into his eye. He groaned and pushed himself off of the floor. The small cracks in the were leaking sunlight in on the grey room. Danny glanced around to his sides. His friends slept quietly in their sleeping bags.

Danny's watch read _7:13 am._ He sighed and pulled himself out of his sleeping bag. He rolled it up and placed in next to Jazz. He walked over to one of the big windows on the far wall and opened it. The area seemed much less depressing as it had seemed last night. Birds chirped in the trees surrounding the building. The closest public area around them was the park, and even that was a good length away. With the opening of the window, sunlight streamed into the large room, illuminating it.

"Man, we really need to decorate this place." Danny smiled slightly, knowing that his friends would totally dominate, transforming this building into a home.

His stomach growled with annoyance. They hadn't eaten in a few days, and Danny knew for certain that his friends would be starving when they woke up. He glanced back out the window. He smiled. He would go into town and buy some food. He walked back over to his backpack and pulled out enough money for a good breakfast for the four of them, five if you included Chester. He then pulled out a notepad that he knew his sister always carried for emergencies and wrote them a note.

 _Hey,_

 _Went into the city to go get some food._

 _Don't worry about me._

 _Just start getting this place up and running._

 _Be back soon_

 _-Danny_

He placed the note down next to Jazz's hand and walked out, shoving the money into his pocket.

* * *

He city was calm, well as calm as a city could be.

Regular cars honked at each other in the traffic, people shoved past each other on the streets, and the occasional stray would bolt across the path, angering some while surprising others. So...pretty calm.

Danny walked quickly and quietly, keeping his head down. He wanted to do this fast and get back to the others. He didn't like leaving them all alone, especially now, when everything was on high alert. He remembered passing a doughnut shop when they had been scouring the city for a place to stay the night before, and he made his way in that direction, hoping to find it in a reasonable amount of time.

The people he passed gave him weird glances. The sight of a quick paced, hooded teen keeping his eyes to the ground was obviously raising suspicion. Danny would have to remember to try and look less like he was a criminal on the run, even though he was.

He finally made his way to a small shop. He opened the door and was greeted to the warm smell of sugar and sweets. The store was small and cozy. A glass display showed different pastries while the shelves behind the counter were lined with an array of different doughnuts.

The line was long, so Danny decided to take a seat and wait for line to die down. He stared at the table and played with his fingers.

 _How long are we going to have to stay here?_ He wondered. His dark black hair draped down into his face.

His mind wandered back to the fight last night. He didn't like putting his friends in danger like that, but he had to admit to himself that he was relieved to have them with him, especially during the fight.

He then remembered being rescued by Robin. He knew his face had been covered by shadows, but he knew his eyes were always able to cut thought the dark, even in their blue human form. Robin had seen their icy color.

He would remember them.

He clenched his fists. He was just putting his friends in even more danger. He knew he would have to avoid the Titans now even more than before.

Any hope of having the Titans be an ally was dwindling the more Danny thought about it. He then started to think about his parents.

 _Wonder what they're doing?  
_

 _Did_ _they really want me to be captured when they gave the Justice League those weapons? Don't they know what'll happen if they catch us? Don't they care?!_

 _And what about Valerie? I didn't get to talk to her before we left. What does she think?_

 _Is she upset?_

 _Is she angry?_

 _What am I saying? Of course she's angry. She just found out I'm the ghost boy, a ghost she despises with all her might. She probably wants to destroy me, even more than before._ He realized sadly, knowing he probably just lost a good friend.

He didn't even want to think about school. His classmates were probably freaking out, finding that one of the losers that they used to make fun off was the famous ghost boy that was one of the reasons that they were still alive and not at the mercy of an evil ghost king, crazy ringmaster, psychotic version of himself, and many other crack-pots and wackos. He smiled slightly at the thought of the looks on their faces when they found out.

He didn't know how much time had passed, because when he looked back up, only about two people were seated in the store.

After Danny had ordered and filled two boxes filled to the brim with doughnuts, he decided to head back.

As he was walking back, he heard a loud crash. He turned his head and saw the Titans battling a creature that seemed to be made out of stone. He growled and turned his head back around. _Doesn't this city ever take a break?_ He sighed as he started walking faster, but stopped as a large block of stone crushed the car in front of him. He gasped and turned back towards the fight. He saw Robin swatting at the creature with his staff. He turned and his eyes landed on Danny. He stopped and stared. Danny felt fear creep up his spine as he turned and ran.

He ran until the factory came into view. He stopped at the fence and took a couple deep breaths to compose himself. His friends were probably worried. The whole-round trip had taken more than an hour. His watch read _8:21_ as he walked through the door. Sam was sweeping the floor with a broom that had been found in a supplies closet. Jazz was cleaning the windows, and Tucker was sprawled out on the floor face down. Danny could hear his muffled complaints.

"God, will you just SHUT UP?!" Sam snapped at the boy. tucker raised his head. "Get me some food and i'll gladly shut. Oh, wait. WE DON"T HAVE ANY FOOD!" He screamed. Jazz turned to them. "Danny's getting the food, just be patient." She said, obviously trying to keep her composure. "Well he needs to get his ecto-butt in gear!" Tucker whined as he placed his face back down on the floor. "Yeah, before one of us does _something_ they'll regret." Sam snarled.

"Uhhh...is this a bad time?" Danny asked as everybody faced him. "Because I can always come back later." He smiled. Tucker nearly tackled him when he saw the boxes of food. He tore it open and gobbled down two of the doughnuts in no time at all. Sam laughed at him while Jazz ran over and made sure Danny was okay.

"I'm fine, Jazz." He said as he reached down and handed her a doughnut. She smiled and popped it into her mouth.

"I got you some vegan doughnuts." Danny said as he handed one of the special doughnuts to Sam. She smiled and grabbed it. "Well, you took your sweet time." She smirked at him. "Any more whining, and I would have started beating Tucker with the broom."

"Hey, I told you Chester would get angry. I warned you guys." He stated as he gobbled down another doughnut.

Danny chuckled along with his friends as he started eating a doughnut, before Tucker ate them all.

"So, anything happen while you were in town?" Sam asked as she chewed one of the doughnuts. Danny told them about the encounter with the Teen Titans and how Robin had looked over at him.

"I don't like this. We've only been here a day and they're already getting to close for comfort." Jazz said. "Well as long as they don't come sniffin' around here, we should be okay, right." Tucker asked, his mouth filled with the pastries. Sam frowned and stared at the floor. "Maybe..." She said. Danny sighed and grabbed another doughnut, trying to keep himself from falling into a panic.

 _Calm down, Fenton. The Justice League doesn't even know we're here. How could the Titans?_

 _Just stay calm, and lay low._

 _They won't find us._

 _They won't_.

* * *

Robin sighed as the truck towed Cinderblock away.

He knew he had seen that boy from the nigh before at one of the stores.

 _Why would he run._

 _Why did he look so scared of me...of us._

 _Are they hiding something?_

 _If so then why would they risk being caught to help some civilians?_

Robin frowned at the flood of questions in his head, none of which did he have an answer to.

"Robin, we are victorious. Why do you not show happiness?" Starfire asked as she flew over.

"It's nothing, Starfire. I...just thought of something."

His mind drifted back to the conversation he had had with Batman the night before. His eyes widened slightly. "I have to go."

"What?" Starfire asked, confusion in her voice.

"I'll meet you guys back at the tower." Robin said as he rode back to the tower on his cycle.

Starfire hovered sadly next to her friends.

"Has Robin been acting a bit strange lately?" Cyborg asked.

"You mean stranger than usual?" Beastboy smirked.

"I' m serious, ya'll. He's been acting just like when he..." He stopped.

"When he was obsessed with Slade." Raven finished. They looked at each other with worry. "No, Robin would not become obsessed again. He would not!" Starfire yelled, more trying to convince herself than the others. They looked at her, hoping she was right.

* * *

Robin ran to his room. He looked at the pictures of Phantom on the desk and stared hard at the face. The eyes were different than the boy he had seen. He then moved to a picture of Fenton, with his icy blue eyes. He tried to recall what he had seen with the hooded boy. There was no mistaking it.

The eyes were exactly the same.

Robin sighed and sat back down in his chair. He knew he would have to get more evidence before he could totally assume that The Spectral Suspects were in Jump City, but deep down, he knew for certain. Robin sat deep in thought, until Cyborg stood in the doorway, startling the young teen from his trance.

"Yo, you okay, man. You've been acting kind of weird lately." He said, worriedly. Robin looked at him. "Come on, I have to talk to the team."

After rounding up the group, Robin turned and faced them. "I have reason to believe that The Spectral Suspects are in Jump." He stated. Starfire gasped while Cyborg and Raven shared confused glances.

Beastboy laughed and jumped up. "Awesome. Hey, do you think we'll get to meet them?" He asked, only to be silenced by four identical glares. "Are you sure?" Raven asked. Robin shook his head. "But I want to know for certain." He walked over to the main computer and started searching the area for places the teens could be hiding.

"Uh, Rob. You do know how big the city is, right? It will take forever for us to search all of it, just for a chance of MAYBE finding them. I mean, they might not even be here." Cyborg argued. Robin pressed a button on the computer and the screen showed a map of Jump City with a dozen red dots all around it. He turned to the teen. "That's why I narrowed it down to these locations. These are the most likely spots they'll be." He stated.

"But what will we do if we apprehend them?" Starfire asked. Robin paused for a moment before answering. "I want to ask them a couple questions. Things about the crimes they've done and other things about there past. After that..." He hesitated, then shook his head and continued, more firmly. "...after that, we turn them in." The rest of the team seemed to be just as hesitant to turn in the teens as Robin was before. He narrowed his eyes. "They're the most wanted criminals in the nation at this point. We can't get distracted." He said, wondering who he was trying to convince, his team or himself.

* * *

"Tucker, this is really getting old." Danny sighed.

For the past hour, the techno geek had been asking the group "would you rather" questions. Playing stupid games were the only thing that the kids could do to pass the time. Spending the whole day cramped in the factory was really taking a toll on the group, the only way to lighten the tension was to play. But even Danny had to admit, it was getting tiresome.

"Okay, okay. A few more questions." Tucker said with a smile. They all groaned. "You said that twenty questions ago!" Sam growled. Tucker flashed her a smile. "Okay, would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet blue whale?" He asked. Danny shook his head and thought about it. "I guess a dinosaur...no, wait, a whale." He said. "If dinosaurs are anything like dragons, I don't want anything to do with them." He said, making the girls laugh. "I have to go with the dino. I mean, how cool would it be to ride a T-Rex to school?!" Tucker exclaimed.

They chuckled. He then turned to Sam. "Okay, would you rather live in a tree or be one?" He asked. She thought about it. "Before the Undergrowth incident, I probably would have picked to be a tree, but now that I kind of know what being a plant is like, I would probably pick to live in a tree." She said. "I have to agree with that." Tucker said. "That experience made me look at plants a LOT differently." He said.

Jazz had a similar question of if she would rather have her hand stuck in a jar or her head stuck in a bucket, in which she responded to the former, explaining, "Wouldn't it be easier to remove something that I can actually see, rather than something that covers my eyes?"

"Okay, I have one last one." Danny said. "And this one is directed to all of you. Answer honestly." He said, paused before asking. "Would you guys rather be heroes in a horrible world, or villains in a perfect one." Nobody answered for a while. Sam finally broke the silence. "Well aren't we already heroes living in a horrible world." She sighed. They said nothing for a moment. Finally Danny raised his head. "Well, I don't regret it. I don't regret becoming a hero, saving those people, protecting the town, the world. Everyone may see us as villains, as the bad guys. But we know the truth." He said.

"Without us, they would live in a world ruled by the weather..." Sam said.

"By an evil plant..." Tucker shuddered.

"By an insecure freak with a bejeweled glove..." Jazz continued.

"By a psycho ghost with a fiery crown and ring." Sam sighed.

"By evil." Danny finished. "Nobody except a certain few know about all of the horrible things in this world." He said.

"That the monster under your bed..." Sam said

"In the closet..." Tucker continued.

"Down in the basement." Jazz finished.

"They're all real. Every single evil creature that we've always been taught doesn't exist...is real. Real and out there, and only we are able to stop it. Because if we don't...who will?" Danny stated. "I'll never stop fighting them. I'll never leave humanity to defend itself against all of those horrible creatures."

Sam placed a hand on his shoulder. "And we'll never let you fight them alone." She said with a determined gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah, behind every great hero, there's a pretty good team." Jazz smiled.

"And we just happen to be the best!" Tucker beamed. They laughed, quickly followed by loud groans as Tucker continued with...

"So, who's up for round two?"

* * *

Sam groaned as Danny violently shook her awake. Her tired eyes met his and all the sleepiness left her when she saw the look of terror on his face. She opened her mouth to say something, only to have Danny quickly cover it with his hand. She mumbled something behind it, causing Danny to shush her. Jazz and Tucker stood next to him with equally worried expressions. Danny dropped his hand and Sam quietly asked. "What's wrong?"

Danny's eyes darted to the window, where a dim light could be seen in the dark of the night. Sam quietly crept up to the window and peeked through it. The sight made her heart stop.

The Teen Titans were walking along the outer fence, gazing in at the property. Cyborg had a small light on his shoulder up, shining a bright white light on the surrounding area. Starfire had her hand up, a green light shining out of it. Sam turned back to a frightened Danny.

"How the heck did they find us?" She whispered with a slight hint of panic in her voice.

Danny shook his head, indicating that he had no idea. He twisted his head around and pointed to the small storage closet in the far corner of the room. They nodded in response and ran as quietly as they could over to it. Danny opened the door, wincing as it made a loud creaking sound. He sighed in relief when he saw it was just big enough to hold them. He ushered them in and slowly shut the door, leaving a crack just big enough for him to peak through and spy on the Titans, just as they walked through the door.

* * *

Robin glanced around the room. It seemed empty, but that didn't mean it was. This location was one of the last five to be checked. They had spent the whole day searching the spots that the computer had indicated, and he was pretty sure his team was tired of it, given that Beast Boy would give an exaggerated sigh almost every five minutes.

As his eyes gazed around the room, they fell on a clump of something in the back corner. He cautiously walked over to it and realized that it was four sleeping bags, all laid out next to each other and slightly ruffled. _Someone's been sleeping here_. He thought as he also saw two boxes. He opened them and saw that they were filled with doughnuts.

"Awesome! Vegan doughnuts!" Beast Boy yelled, reaching for one of them, only to be dragged back by Cyborg. "Cool it, ya little grass stain. Don't you know what this means?" He said, only to let out a sigh as Beast Boy gave him a look of utter confusion.

"It means someone's been staying here." Raven stated.

Robin narrowed his eyes as he started to piece some things together. "That kid that I saw, he was carrying two boxes of doughnuts, and he ran in this direction." He said.

"Okay, let's not jump to conclusions. It might not even be them. For all we know, that kid and his friends are homeless and live here." Cyborg said. Robin narrowed his eyes, until they fell on a cracked door in the far corner of the room. As he walked closer, he thought he saw a flash of blue, the same icy blue he had seen the night before. He gripped the handle and yanked the door open.

* * *

Danny quickly turned his friends invisible just as Robin yanked the door open. He held his breath, even though he knew the boy couldn't see him, he only released it when he turned away. Unfortunately, he left the door open, meaning Danny would have to keep the invisibility up until they left.

Robin turned back towards his team. "Well, nobody's here." He finally said.

"But if they are not here, where have they gone?" Starfire asked. Robin shook his head, unsure himself.

Raven raised her head and warily looked around the room, just as Cyborg noticed that his arm was faintly blinking.

"I can sense someone here, but i can't figure out what or where, It's like it's cloaked." Raven stated as she walked around the room. Cyborg shook his head in confusion. "And my arm is saying that it's picking up some vitals, but I don't see anyone." He scratched the back of his head as he typed some buttons in his arm, trying to figure out what was happening. Beast Boy turned into a bloodhound and placed his nose to the ground. He instantly picked up a scent, and started following it, leading straight to the closet.

Danny's heart raced as Beast Boy got closer. His nose pointed towards their invisible forms. He could feel his friends tense as the dog sniffed at the "air" in the closet. He then turned back human and stared back at the team in confusion. I smell something in here, but there's nothing." He said.

Robin rubbed his chin. "We'll have to keep a close eye on this place. But I can feel that the Spectral Suspects are here, in Jump. We'll just have to keep looking, and stay focused here, there's something off about this place." He said ass his team followed him out the door. As soon as they were gone, Danny dropped the intangibility and they fell to the ground, piling up on the ground just outside the door. They remained silent, fearing the Titans might hear them.

After about a few moments, they finally deemed it safe and got up. Tucker stared at them, fear apparent in his face.

"We're screwed...AGAIN!"

* * *

 **Sorry for the long delay for this chapter. I had a really busy weekend.**

 **Sadly, the next chapter will probably be postponed just as long as this one was because I have another busy weekend. But after that, it should go back to normal.**

 **But DON'T quote me on that!**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will probably be a bit more exciting. You will finally be introduced to... The Forgotten Faces!**

 **OOOOOooooo!**

 **Who are those stupidly named people? You might ask!**

 **You'll just have to wait until the next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10: Forgotten Faces

Danny tried to take slow deep breaths, but somehow, they came out as sharp gasps as he paced around the room.

"How….when…..why?" Was all he could stutter out. The Titans had just left the building, but the fear that they had instilled in the teens still lingered.

"Danny, you have to calm down." Sam said, although panic could be heard in her voice.

"Calm down? How can I calm down when the Teen Titans now know that we're in Jump, which by the way, means that they are officially the third group that wants to capture us!" Danny screamed.

Sam forcefully grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"Danny! You have to stay calm. Freaking out about this isn't going to help us!" She tried to convince him. That seemed to reach him as he took a deep breath and sighed.

"How did this even happen? How did they find out?" Jazz wondered out loud.

"They must have seen more than we thought when we fought those villains." Danny sighed, knowing that it was partially his fault. He should have never let Robin see his face. He should have been more careful.

"Well, we have to do something. You heard them, they're going to come back, and something tells me we aren't going to be able to evade them forever. They were getting close to us, even when Danny was invisible." Tucker said.

"So...now what do we do? They're getting close." Jazz asked.

Sam glanced at the group and smirked.

Danny's eyes widened as he realized what she was planning. "No way. Absolutely not! NO!" He shouted.

* * *

 **Jump City Costume Shop**

"How did she convince us to do this?"

Danny snarled at the group as they milled around the store. Thankfully, the costume shop was open 24 hours, god knows why, but they weren't complaining, well...Danny was.

He hated this plan. He hated all villains, and now he had to become one?! Nothing about this seemed to work for him. But he knew that it was the only way to get the Titans off of their tracks, at least for a little while. Also, Sam had promised that they wouldn't actually commit any crimes, well, at least, any BIG crimes. Maybe a couple misdemeanors and annoyances, but nothing really...criminal. They didn't need anymore crimes to add to their ever-growing list of charges. Besides, Danny had to admit that it was the best plan at the time. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Tucker grumbled with his arms crossed.

"Oh, stop complaining and pick out some masks while I find us some clothes." Sam sighed. Tucker glared at her. "What's wrong with what we're wearing?" He asked.

Sam rolled her eyes at him. "Just pick out a mask." She snarled as she walked over to the costumes, to find uniforms for them.

Danny shook us head at their argument and turned towards the back wall of the store that held a multitude of different masks. He scanned the wall, gazing intently at each and every mask, inspecting each one, trying to see if there was one that matched him.

Jazz grabbed one off of the wall. It was white. etched with thin copper swirls. It was only a half mask, with the right side of her face still exposed, except for the skin under her eye, which was covered by the mask. Small copper crystals surrounded one of the eyes, giving a small "pop" of color to the white mask. She placed it on her face and turned to us. Even with it only being a half mask, she was still unrecognizable. Danny nodded, signifying that it suited her. She took it off and smiled, walking to where Sam was, going to try to help her pick something for them to wear.

Tucker then grabbed another one of the masks. It was also a half mask, but it was gold and decorated fully with wires and circuits of the same color, if not, darker. The whole appearance of the decorations on the mask gave it a sort of "Techno" feel, perfect for Tucker. He sighed. "Well, might as well be a handsome criminal." He smirked at Danny.

The boy snickered at his friends words, just as his eyes landed on a mask that seemed to be perfect for him. It was a full-face mask, except for where it ended short on the bottom, leaving exposed his mouth and chin. It was split down the middle, separating into two colors, an eerie silver and a jet black with small swirls of bright green. He smiled at the mask and took it. He followed Tucker over to where Sam was, but not before he reached back and grabbed a mask that seemed to be perfect for her. Once they reached the girls, they had four outfits in their hands, but they held them close to their bodies, making it impossible for the boys to see.

Sam turned her head to look at him and he handed her the mask. It was a simple mask that only covered her eyes. It was a smokey black with tips that stretched over the sides of her face, converting into feathers, making it look like the ends of the mask were the wings of a raven, even the part of the mask that ended on the bridge of her nose seemed to end with a small point, like a bird's beak. Down the middle of the mask were four small purple crystals. She smiled and gently took it from his hands.

"I think we have everything we need." She said proudly.

"You guys better not make us look like dorks!" Tucker sneered as he folded his arms. "If i'm going to cover up _this_ face, I better at least be wearing something to make up for it." He snapped grumpily.

They couldn't do anything but laugh, making him angrier.

Once they had paid for their things,including some other items they might need for their endeavors, stopping by a gas station, buying some more food, cards, and a small portable radio to listen in on the police scanner and current news, they quickly headed back to the factory, not wanting to be out in the open for long periods of time, now that the Titans were on high alert. As soon as they arrived, it was probably around 2'o clock in the morning, but they decided to get some sleep, considering it had preciously been interrupted by the unwanted visitors.

"So...tomorrow night, we'll make ourselves known." Danny said, yawning in the middle of his statement, causing the others to yawn as well, earning Danny playful glares.

Sam only nodded as she slowly drifted off to sleep, quickly followed by the others.

After they woke, the day went by slowly. Mostly, the group discussed what their plan of action would be, while lazily playing with the pack of cards that Tucker had stashed away.

"So, as soon as a villain shows their face sometime after dark, we'll show up, take them down, and wait for the Titans to show. They'll probably go all _We're taking you in for questioning...blah...blah...blah...taking you down, even though we have no evidence of you doing anything wrong..!_ You know, like all superheroes lately." Danny sneered, the others agreeing.

"Seriously, what is with all of these superheroes jumping to conclusions? I mean, the government isn't always right! They do LIE!" Jazz yelled while the others nodded.

"Hey, I just thought of something." Danny said. "If the Titans find out that we're causing trouble, won't it just look worse for us?" He asked.

"Well, then we won't get caught." Tucker smirked as he laughed, slamming a card down on the pavement, much to Danny's frustration.

"Yeah, that is true. If we're caught by them, then the whole "we're innocent" card will fall out. They won't trust a single word out of our mouths." Jazz fretted

"So we WON"T GET CAUGHT!"Tucker shouted, waving his arms dramatically. Danny sighed and glanced out the window, there conversation had started around lunchtime, and now that the sun was setting, they still hadn't stopped.

Sam shook her head, suddenly stopping and staring straight ahead. Danny looked at her. "Uh...Sam, you okay?" He asked.

"Hello? Earth to Sam!" Tucker shouted as he waved a hand in front of her face. She blinked her eyes and turned toward the group. "I just thought of something. We don't have any names. We can't exactly call each other by our first names while we're out there." She said. Danny's eyes widened. "Of course!" He said.

"So what do we call ourselves?" Jazz asked. She opened her mouth, only to be cut off by Sam. "If you say Ghost Getters #'s 1, 2, 3, and 4, I am going to come over there!" She growled. Jazz smiled nervously and shut her mouth. "Okay, so what do you have planned?" Danny asked. She thought about it. "Well..."

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

Robin stared at the screen with a deep scowl on his face. They had checked all of the locations, but they hadn't found anything. The closest they came was that abandoned factory, and he knew there was sometind deeper there, but he couldn't figure out what. If it really was just a couple of homeless kids, then Robin had no business messing with them. But if it really was the Spectral Suspects, then Robin had to keep a close eye on that building.

A knock on his door threw him from his thoughts. It opened to reveal Starfire. "What is it, Star?" Robin asked, eyes still glued to the screen.

"I was wondering if you would care to join us in the partaking of a movie." She asked with a smile.

"Can't I have to keep working. They're out there somewhere." Robin said, he would have said more, but he was interrupted when Starfire placed a hand on his shoulder and made him look up.

"Robin, please. I am worried. You are falling back into your old tendencies. I fear you are becoming obsessed with finding The Suspects of Specters. Please, I demand you take a break. Please. For me." She pleaded, giving him the 'puppy eyes' for added affect. Robin looked like he wanted to argue, but he just sighed and nodded his head. Starfire let out a squeak of joy and roughly grabbed his arms, dragging him towards the living room, his feet creating streams of smoke as they were dragged across the floor at an incredible speed.

"Dude, you guys made it!" Beastboy cheered as Robin was dropped onto the couch by an over-excited alien. She then flew down and took a seat next to a now sore Robin. Cyborg sat on his other side, popcorn, soda and an assortment of other candies in his arms. Raven sat at the end of the couch, a book in hand and a scowl on her face at being dragged out of her room to watch the movie. She sent a red-eyed glare at Beastboy, who rubbed the back of his neck and wheeled to the front of the room, facing the couch.

"Okay, tonight's special feature is a pick between the horrors of _Bloody Terror_ and the action packed goodness that is _Racing Against Time_!" Beastboy said, holding up the two movies.

"Uhh..haven't we already had enough experiences with horror movies?" Robin asked, remembering the last horror movie the team had watched.

Beastboy thought about it and made his choice, throwing out the other movie in the process. "Action movie it is!" He yelled, throwing the movie into the receiver and jumping into the couch next to Starfire. The screen was starting to load when suddenly, the screen started to blink a bright red as it flickered to a breaking news broadcast. Beastboy groaned and slunk down onto the floor. Starfire gasped, Robin and Cyborg bolted upright, and Raven placed her book down.

" _We are here live, in Downtown Jump, where a heated battle is underway. The Hive are at it again, and this time, they seem to be battling new opponents."_ The reporter said as the camera moved to cover the scene.

The Hive members were locked in a heated battle with four strangers, unable to be clearly seen in the live feed. "Whoa, who the heck are those people?" Beastboy asked as he stared at the screen. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter. We don't need any crazy vigilantes in the city, especially if their destroying Jump and endangering the citizens. Titans Go!" Robin yelled, jumping into action.

* * *

 **Downtown Jump City**

Danny sighed as he dropped Jinx onto the ground, a fresh layer of ice around her arms and hands, stopping her from blasting him.

"Man, we've only been here for three days and these guys are already the most annoying thing here." He snarled as he watched Sam and Jazz once again take down Mammoth. "Well, apart from the Titans." Tucker said as Gizmo fell to the ground, once again, a victim to Tuckers incredible hacking skills. "Seriously, dude. You need to upgrade your equipment." He sneered as he walked over to the others.

"Got to say, Sam. You guys really know how to pick clothes." Tucker said, looking down at them again.

Danny's outfit matched his. Black pants tucked into steel toed, black boots, along with a dark gray shirt and black leather jackets, along with their masks.

The girls wore something similar, only instead of pants, they wore skirts that stretched to the middle of their thighs, underneath them were dark grey tights that were also tucked into higher up black boots that stretched to their knees. Their dark gray shirts were also covered by shorter leather jackets that stopped at their ribs. That, accompanied with their masks, they looked formidable.

Apart from Danny, they were all equipped with weapons.

Each of them still had their wrist rays, but now, Tucker had the Fenton Wrangler, a glowing whip with a strong metal handle that he had clipped to the side of his belt.

Sam had a version of the Ghost Gauntlets, but a smaller, more compact version that slipped onto her hands like a pair of normal metal gloves that increased her strength and allowed bolts of energy to course through her finger tips.

Jazz had the ecto-staff. A metal staff with glowing green tips that passed energy through it, shocking whatever it hit with ecto energy. She twirled it in her hands and pressed a button on the side, shrinking it into a metal stick and clipped in onto her belt. Danny was just using his ice powers, considering it was probably the least know power of his, lesser known than his ectoplasmic energy ray, which the Titans would probably recognize in a heartbeat, especially if they had been studying recent fight clips.

"So, now what?" Tucker asked as he stared at the defeated villains.

"Now you go to jail!" A new voice yelled. They turned to see the Titans in a defensive stance.

"Man, you guys took forever!" Danny yelled. "Yeah, I thought you guys WANTED to take the bad guys down." Tucker sneered. "Well so far, you're doing a pretty lousy job." Sam snapped.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Who the heck are you guys?!" He asked. The other titans seemed just as confused at the newcomers arrival.

"Who are we? Wouldn't you like to know?" Sam smirked

"Well, we've been seen in many places." Jazz stated.

"Driven out from everywhere we go..." Tucker continued.

"We are now The Forgotten Faces." Danny finished.

Cyborg smirked. "How long did it take you to come up with that? Five minutes?"

"Seven, thank you very much! And I thought it was pretty good." Sam said crossing her arms.

"Besides, at least we can always keep our name. You guys DO plan on staying a team forever, right? Well then, what happens when you're thirty-something? You can't exactly call yourselves the TEEN Titans. That'd just be weird." Danny laughed.

Beastboy flattened his ears. "He does make a good point." He whimpered.

"So, what are your individual names? You do have names right." Cyborg sneered.

"Of course we have names, Bolts for Brains!" Jazz snapped.

She gestured to herself. "I'm Copper.

"This is Gold..." She pointed to Tucker.

"...Selenium..." She pointed to Sam.

"And Arsenic." She pointed to Danny, who pointed his fingers at the female titans, clicking his tongue in the process.

"Those aren't your real names!"Robin snapped.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Right, we're just going to give you our real names. Would you like our address and social security numbers as well, or better yet, why don't we just give you **all** our personal information! Man you really are dull as dirt." She laughed.

"Enough! We're taking you into custody!" Robin yelled, gripping his staff tighter.

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see you try!" Tucker sneered.

"Hoping you'd say that." Raven said as her hands lit up with energy.

The group glared at Tucker, who laughed nervously.

"Titans, Go!"

* * *

Robin leapt forwards, knocking Danny to the ground. Before the others had a chance to react, the other titans had leapt into action.

The fight began,

Robin swung his staff down onto the boy, who twisted on the ground, barely missing the staff. He swung his legs forward, knocking Robin to the ground. As he tried to stand, Danny placed a hand to the ground, freezing it over. Robin yelled out in surprise as the ground under him became slippery and cold. He crashed onto his side and tried to retain his balance, to no avail. Danny laughed as the Boy Wonder slipped and slid on the ground, which only made him angrier. He reached into his belt and grabbed three bird-a-rangs. He flung his arm out and threw them in Danny's direction. He gasped and felt himself be thrown backwards as they exploded, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Robin finally managed to escape from the cold patch of ground and stand up straight on the hard road. He shuffled his feet and readied himself just as Danny flew at his, grabbing his shoulders and jumping over him. Before Robin could even turn around, Danny had frozen his feet to the ground, causing Robin to fall forward, catching himself on his hands before he face planted into the ground. He grabbed his staff and started whacking the ice around his feet. Danny took this opportunity to go check on the others.

But before he could even get a few feet away, Raven appeared in front of him and sent a shot of black magic at his chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.

* * *

Sam faced Starfire, who flew a few feet off of the ground, with glowing green eyes and a matching set of hands. The light faded however when Starfire looked at the masked girl.

"Please, I do not wish to harm you." She pleaded with the girl. "Then leave us alone!" Sam yelled back, a hint of hesitation inside her.

"I'm afraid we cannot do that." Starfire said. "Then I'm afraid we have to fight." Sam said as she powered up the gloves. Starfire sighed, then flew at the girl. Sam was ready for this and grabbed her shoulders as she flew by and threw her to the ground. Starfire yelped as she fell, not prepared for the forward defense. She powered up her starbolts and shot a continuous stream at the girl, who expertly dodged them with flips and turns. In turn, she shot at Star with he gloves. She flew in the air, avoiding the shots as her eyes then glowed green and she fired a shot at the girl's feet. Sam didn't expect this and flew backwards into the ground.

Starfire gasped, not wishing to hurt the girl too much, only to feel electricity course through her body as the girl grabbed onto her leg with the gloves. She let out a squeak as she flew up into the air, out of reach from the girl and charged up her hands again, flying down at the girl, who caught her outstretched hands. They then proceeded to engage in a battle of strength as they pushed each other back and forth. Starfire's strength greatly rivaled hers however, even with the gloves and she felt herself being pushed back slowly.

* * *

Tucker faced off against Cyborg.

"Come on, man. We don't want to hurt you." The teen said.

"Really, that's not what it looks like to me." Tucker sneered as he pulled out the whip. Cyborg narrowed his eye and charges the boy, who surprisingly side-stepped him and threw his whip out, wrapping itself around the cyborg, pulling him back to the ground. He raised his arm as best he could and pointed a sonic cannon at the masked teen. Tucker yelped and dropped the whip, running out of range of the large gun. Cyborg sighed and wiggled free of the whip, only to feel a tingling sensation go up his spine, or what was left of his spine. He turned his head to see that his systems were being hacked.

"What?! Yo! Whose hacking into my systems?! Nobody can hack into my systems!" He screamed as a metal polisher appeared out of his shoulder and started to rub against his face. "Then you haven't met me!" Tucker laughed. Cyborg turned his head to see the boy had pulled out a shiny PDA and was tapping commands into it with a grey stylus. Cyborg growled and pointed his cannon at the boy, who gulped and jumped to the side just as it fires, narrowly missing him. He crouched on the ground and growled at the boy. "Fine, let's have some fun!" He yelled as he pressed a button on his PDA. cyborg gulped as he felt his body tingling.

* * *

Jazz swung the staff, hitting the gorilla in the chest, knocking him backwards, transforming him back into Beastboy.

"Dude! That thing hurts!" He yelled as he rubbed his chest.

"That's the point, idiot!" Jazz growled as she placed one end of the staff o the ground and propelled herself upwards, raising her leg as she did so, hitting the boy in the shoulder, knocking him back. When he got up again, he was int eh form of a Tiger. Jazz gripped the staff tighter as he charged and jumped over him as he went, forcefully poking the stick down onto his back, making him roar out in pain at the shock. He reverted back into his human form and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Jeez, you're mean!" He whined as he rubbed his back. Jazz twirled the staff and roughly placed one end on the ground as she held onto the other end.

"It's a good thing you're pretty!" He yelled. Jazz merely rolled her eyes. Suddenly, he turned into an octopus and wrapped a tentacle around her waist. She screamed and squirmed in his grasp. He closed his eyes in joy, only to let out a cry of shock as Jazz kicked him in the face. He instantly dropped her and she went crashing to the ground. She groaned and pushed herself up as Beastboy whimpered and held his nose. She growled and grasped the staff as they charged each other.

* * *

Danny shot a blast of cold out of his hand, hitting Raven in the shoulder, sending her crashing to the ground. Before Danny could even respond, he felt a searing pain in the base of his spine as he let out a scream and fell to the ground. He turned and saw Robin smirking at him, staff in hand, with the tip sparking with electricity. Danny surged forward, faster than Robin expected, and grabbed the staff. The two of them had a mini tug of war, as they fought for the staff. Suddenly, Danny felt ice crawling across the staff and smiled as the staff froze to Robin's hands, much to the boys shock.

"Azarath Matrion Zinthos!"

Suddenly, Danny felt his body be enveloped by black magic as Raven lifted him up into the air. "Gotcha" She said, knowing that the boy wouldn't be able to break free, no matter how much he squirmed. Danny felt fear rising in his chest as he realized that he couldn't break free. Raven brought the boy down to the ground as she and Robin stalked up to him. Robin narrowed his eyes and reached for his mask.

"D-Arsenic!" Sam yelled as she saw the scene unfold. She raised her arm and shot a green beam from the ray on her wrist, hitting Raven in the side, causing her to knock into Robin, sending both teens crashing to the ground. The energy around Danny evaporated and he ran over to Sam, who was being cornered by Starfire. He raised his hands, shooting a blast of ice, hitting Starfire in the legs, sending her plummeting to the ground, but not before Danny caught her arms and gently placed her on the ground, much to her confusion, both of them knowing that a fall from that height would have seriously hurt.

"T-Gold, Copper, time to go!" He said as his friends turned towards him. They finished off what they were doing and ran to him, quickly followed by the Titan they were fighting. Raven and Robin had now jumped to their feet and ran over to them as well. The five Titans surrounded the four masked teens in a semi-circle, their backs blocked by a tall wall.

Danny faced the titans with narrowed eyes, the others protectively behind him. Robin narrowed his eyes at the stance that he boy was taking. Protective. His fists clenched. "Well, this was fun. But we really have to go." Danny said as he turned his head to Jazz. She nodded and threw something down on the ground. The air was then covered with grey smoke. When it cleared, Robin growled and stomped out of the alley, followed by his team mates.

The Forgotten Faces were gone.

* * *

 **Don't ask why I names them after elements in the periodic table, cause I don't know either. Maybe it's because we just finished learning about them in school and I thought some of them would make pretty cool names.**

 **Also, sorry for the stupid name (The Forgotten Faces). Couldn't really think of anything that sounded good, considering they all wore masks, so I added something with the word "faces". Don't JUDGE!**

 **Next chapter should be out soon.**

 **P.S.- what do you know? I guess this chapter wasn't so delayed after all. Yay for me! (and you guys are probably happy as well.)**

 **:)**


	11. Chapter 11: Digging Up The Past

**Chapter 11: Digging Up The Past**

 **Downtown Jump City**

Robin growled angrily as the smoke cleared, to reveal that The Forgotten Faces were gone. He gripped his bow staff tightly, trying to suppress his anger at their escape. Cyborg turned his head to stare at the rest of the group. "Yo, who the heck were those guys?"

"I don't know, but their costumes were AWESOME!" Beastboy chirped excitedly. Raven sent a chilling glare that instantly shut him up, causing him to morph into a rat and crawl up an unsuspecting Cyborg's arm. Robin shook his head, but stopped and stared when he noticed a small shimmering substance against the wall where the Faces used to be.

He bent down on one knee and examined the substance closer, realizing that it was glowing a bright green color with specks and swirls of crimson red. "What is it, Robin?" Raven asked, bending down next to him, Cyborg at her side. "I don't know." Robin admitted. "Raven, can you..." He stopped when she moved her hand over the glowing puddle, causing it to rise off of the ground.

"Uh, thanks." Robin said as he pulled a vial from his belt and collected the strange substance.

"We need to run some tests."

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

"It'll take a few days for the results to come back for that liquid." Cyborg said, turning to Robin, who stood behind him. "But where did it come from?" He asked. Robin sighed, he knew the answer, spending so much time in Gotham, he knew instantly by the way it was positioned on the ground that it was blood. But it wasn't like any blood he had ever seen.

"Tell me when the results are ready." He said gruffly as he walked out of the room.

Cyborg sighed and placed the vial of liquid into the machine. He sat back in the chair. "How in the world did that guy hack into my systems? Nobody can hack into my systems." He fumed for a while as he tried to figure out what had happened.

"Well, he's obviously their techno supporter. Too bad he's a bad guy. We probably would have made good friends." Cyborg sighed.

His mind drifted back to the kid's mask. It was gold with different circuits and wires. "Really good friends." Cyborg realized, knowing that the kid was probably just like him, well, except for the crimes. "Well, they did help defeat the Hive. The only really bad thing they did was property damage, aggravated assault, which we kind of started, and resisting arrest. That's not THAT bad, right?" Cyborg asked, to nobody in particular.

He sighed once more, staring at the monitor, even though he knew it would be a couple days before the results came back. Maybe the results could help unravel the mystery behind those vigilantes.

* * *

Starfire laid on her bed, holding Silkie above her face. "Oh, my little bumgorf. I am confused, and those people that we fought tonight are the source." She placed the maggot on the bed and turned onto her stomach to face him.

"The girl that I fought, I believe her name was Selenium, she did not seem bad, like many of the villains we have fought in the past." She stared at the maggot. "In fact, she seemed...scared."

She kept looking at the creature, hoping the answer would pop out of his mouth, but he only kept purring at her. "It is true, I did not wish to hurt her, and deep down, I believe she did not want to hurt me. But she did. And it looked like she regretted fighting us...fighting me." She flipped back over and stared at the ceiling.

"They did no wrong. At least, not much. They merely protected the citizens from the attack, damaging some property in the process. But we damage the property all of the time when we are fighting. So why are they the bad people? Is it because they would not willingly be arrested, or because they fought us? But in all honesty, we fought them."

She remembered the conversation she had had with the masked girl, and when that boy with the ice powers had saved her from being hurt. "Oh, Silkie. I do not know what to do! They are the bad people, but I do not want to hurt them like normal bad people! What is the matter with me?!" She cried, holding Silkie tightly, tighter than he would have liked.

"What do you do when the bad guy is not bad?" She asked herself, knowing she didn't have the answer.

* * *

Beastboy watched as his car crashed, signaling the Game Over sign on the monitor. He grumbled and sat back, but he really hadn't been paying any attention to the game at all.

Like the others, he was busy thinking about the Face that he had battled. The girl with the white and copper mask. Copper, that was her name.

Beastboy sighed, not from defeat or anger, but admiration.

That girl was tough. He only knew one person that could take out his animal forms with only a staff, and luckily he was on his side, but still, she was impressive. _And pretty._ He thought, only to shake his head. _Snap out of it Beastboy. We don't need another Terra incident._ He lowered his head at the thought of the girl.

 _Terra._

 _I don't need another distraction like her._ He thought bitterly, only to end up in an argument with himself.

 _A distraction. Is that all she was to you? A distraction?_

 _Well, it's better than thinking of her as something else, especially considering she's de..._ He stopped himself from thinking anymore on the topic. He knew he had to focus the next time they'd face. He couldn't think of that girl...Copper, of anything other than what she was, a vigilante, a criminal.

So why did his heart start hurting when he thought of hurting _her_?

* * *

Raven was confused.

She hated being confused.

That boy. The one she had fought with Robin, there was something odd about him. He reminded her of Plasmius. The same feeling she had gotten from that man. The feeling of being dead, but still alve at the same time.

It's impossible.

She shook her head and tried to go back to concentrating on her meditating, to no avail. She stopped and walked over to her bed. Ghosts were creatures she would rather not have to fight. She had read enough about them to realize that they were worthy adversaries.

But what she couldn't understand was why that boy gave her the same feeling that Plasmius, an evil ghost, had given her.

Maybe that boy had more secrets than she knew.

* * *

Robin growled.

The eyes that could be seen through the boy's mask. That same icy blue.

Robin had seen it in millions of photos and on a certain runaway boy.

So what had happened? Was the boy a meta? And his friends. Were they just accomplices, or were they something more?

 _Do they have something to do with the Spectral Suspects, or are they one in the same?_

 _If they are, then why would the Suspects do something like this. Last video I saw of them, they were scared out of their minds. Why would they risk being caught saving the day, and then attacking the local heroes, which they know have connections with the Justice League._

The whole thing confused Robin, and he hated being confused.

He knew he shouldn't jump to conclusions, it went against everything he had been taught, but something in his gut was telling him otherwise.

The Forgotten Faces and The Spectral Suspects were one in the same.

The main thing that was confusing Robin was their motive. Why would they attack? It didn't make any sense.

It was one mystery Robin was determined to find out.

* * *

 **Abandoned Factory**

"Dude! That was...!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Dangerous." Danny finished, removing his mask. Sam and Jazz did the same, glancing at each other with worried expressions, silently asking each other if they were okay.

"Is anyone hurt?" He asked as he removed the leather jacket, leaving just the dark grey shirt, wincing as he did so.

"I don't think so." Jazz said, going over to each teen, checking for wounds, only stopping to wrap a bleeding cut on Danny's arm. "That was close." She said when she was done.

"GUYS! We just fought the Teen Titans! How cool is that?!" Tucker shouted, waving his arms. Danny simply glared at him. "It'd be cooler if they didn't think of us as lowly criminals or stupid vigilantes." He growled, flopping onto the stone floor. Tucker sighed, knowing it was true.

"Well, get used to it. Now that they're distracted, they won't go looking for us. So as long as we keep them _entertained_ , we should be okay, for now at least." Sam said, sitting down on the floor next to Danny. "Well, next fight, don't do too much damage. Remember, we don't want to hurt them. We just want to annoy them." Jazz said, knowing she should be more careful not to hurt the Titans next time.

"If our goal is to annoy them, we should just tie them up with Tucker and leave them in a room with no food. That'll get them plenty annoyed." Sam smirked.

"Hey!"

"Yeah, or tie him with them while he's bored, they'd hate us for that." Danny chuckled.

"Hey!"

Jazz smiled. "Or have him play games with them. That'll get us a few years behind bars." They all burst out in laughter, much to Tucker's displeasure.

"HEY! I'm right here, ya know!" He shouted indignantly.

"Sadly...I know." Sam sneered playfully. Tucker clenched his fists and Sam stuck her tongue out at him.

That was all it took.

Tucker lunged for her and together, the two of them went rolling along the stone floor, throwing insults as well as soft, lazy punches. Danny and Jazz watched, laughing all the while. Danny glanced at Jazz playfully, causing her to look at him warily. "Oh no! Don't even think about it!" She shouted, just as he threw a speck of ectoplasm at her forehead. She growled and tackled him to the ground. The kids laughed as they came together in one big, massive pile of laughs and kicks.

When they finally broke apart, they were panting heavily, glaring playfully with cheeky smiles at each other. They didn't even both climbing into their sleeping bags. They just clumped together and quietly fell asleep to the sound of their snores.

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

 **3 days later**

"They haven't been spotted in three days, Robin. Maybe they got the message." Cyborg tried to reason with the stressed leader.

"Yeah, that the Teen Titans aren't a force to be reckoned with!" Beastboy shouted, jumping up from the couch.

Raven growled at him and he promptly sat back down with a cheeky smile at her. Starfire giggled when Raven flipped the changeling onto his back.

"Bad guys do learn, sometimes, Robin." Raven said, closing her book. "Maybe they decided this wasn't the best city to play vigilante."

Robin nodded to the girl and turned back to the screen, knowing they were wrong.

"I don't know guys. Something is telling me that they're still out there."

Night was falling. The Faces hadn't been seen in three days. Robin was starting to get anxious, waiting for them to show themselves again. Suddenly, the screen started to flash red, and popped to a news report showing the Faces battling Plasmus.

"Finally. Titans, Go!"

* * *

"Okay, any villain who reminds me of Spectra in snot-form sucks!" Danny yelled, annoyed as the muck monster swung a fist at him, which he easily avoided.

The thing roared in pain as Tucker wrapped his whip around it's legs and yanked, bringing it crashing to the ground.

Jazz slammed her staff down on it's eyes and Sam reared a punch right into one of the filled spores on it's back. The creature roared once more and melted out of Tuckers whip, charging the group once more. "Man, how do the Titans fight this guy?" Sam asked as she sidestepped a muck-ball that the creature had just thrown.

"Don't know, but they are really slow." Danny said as he fired an ice blast at the creature, freezing it's arms and legs. He then created another ice blast with swirls of his ectoplasmic energy blast mixed in and fired in at the creature's chest.

He watched with satisfaction as it blasted a hole in the creature's chest, which he easily mended, but then roared out as his body began to be covered in ice. Danny flew down, fast, and sent a hard punch at the now frozen creature, shattering him into a million pieces.

"Ugg, finally." He turned his head, glancing around for the Titans. He sighed and turned to the others. "Okay, I guess the Titans are no shows." He frowned.

He barely got the last word out before a blast hit him in the stomach and sent him sprawling to the asphalt.

"Da-Arsenic!" Jazz screamed as the Titans appeared.

"Guess again!" Robin yelled.

Danny groaned and pushed himself up. "Ugg! Man, you guys really know how to make someone feel welcome." He said as he floated up and in front of the others. "You guys ready for a rematch?" Beastboy asked, transforming into a bear.

"Are you?" Tucker asked, cracking his whip, while Sam's gloves crackled with electricity and Jazz's staff twirled in her hands.

Robin braced himself, waiting for them to attack, but they never did. _They_ were waiting for the Titans to attack them. Robin was about to hesitate and try and figure out what they were doing, but instead, he just shook his head, trying to clear his mind from all of his confusing thoughts and just focusing on one. They were the bad guys. And they needed to be brought down.

"Titans, Go!"

He leapt at Danny, causing the teen to float to the side, around the boy's attack. He faced his opponent once more that week. "Come on, Robin." He said as he froze Robin's feet to the ground once more. As the boy fell onto his back, Danny froze his hands to the ground as well. "Haven't we already been through this?" He smirked, only to have a glowing green hand punch him in the chest. He groaned and fell to the ground.

When he looked up, Starfire was floating above him, electric eyes glowing. "Not with me! You will leave and never come back!" She growled. Danny smirked at her. "Sorry, I've never been big on listening to orders!" He shot a blast at her chest, encasing her arms and torso together in a case of ice. She crouched down on the ground and stared at the boy with wide eyes, expecting a killing blow. But it never came. He merely stared at her and jumped over her head, going over to help the others.

Starfire charged her blasters and broke through the ice in a blast of electric green light. She then ran over and did the same for Robin. They nodded to each other and ran over to continue the fight.

Unlike last time, the Titans had developed a plan to fix what went wrong last time they fought. They had taken them on one by one. Each titan batting a Face. But now, their plan was to separate the strongest opponent, which was Arsenic, from the bunch, and take out the others together. Robin and Starfire ran over to the battling group, trying to gain control over the super powered boy once more.

Cyborg fired a shot at the group of teens. Tucker tackled the two girls down to the ground, much to their surprise. "Ladies..." He smirked as he got up and wrapped his whip around Cyborg and Beastboy, tying the big and small titans together. "Ugg, you did not just tie me together with this little grass stain!" He shouted trying to break the strong material. "Hey, I can hear you, ya know!" Beastboy snapped. "Yeah, I know." Cyborg grumbled as he continued to struggle.

Raven raised her hands. "Azarath Metroin Zin..." She wasn't able to finish before Sam had grabbed her shoulders and threw her to the ground. Jazz then straddled the girl's torso and placed her staff horizontally on her shoulders, pressing her into the ground. Raven grunted with the added pressure as Jazz placed her feet on the girl's hands, rendering them useless. "Sorry about this. But we don't need your magic screwing with us." Jazz said as she used her free hand to place a rag over the girl's mouth, stopping her from chanting. She was immobile.

As Cyborg and Beastboy struggled against the strong material, Beastboy transformed into a snake and slipped from the whip's grasp, crawling up Sam's arms, tying them together. she grunted and grabbed the back of the snake's head. She twirled him around her head and lazily tossed him to the ground, careful not to hurt him too much in the process.

Cyborg narrowed his eyes. The girl wasn't using her full strength, and now that he realized it, the boy that had hacked into his systems hadn't done anything to damage him, just annoy him. He shook his head and felt the rope around him fall to the ground, now that Beastboy had escaped. He ran forward and grabbed Tucker by the shoulders. "Let go, ya big bucket of bolts!" Tucker exclaimed, trying to wiggle free of the boy's grasp. "T-Gold!" Jazz yelled, turning her head towards them. Raven narrowed her eyes, seeing her chance, and thrust upwards, throwing the girl off of her.

She raised her hands and encased a few of the cars along the side of the road. She moved her hands in the direction of the group of girls. Sam gasped and rammed herself into Jazz, knocking the two out of the way. She then grabbed Cyborg's leg and felt electricity spark through it. Cyborg screamed and threw Tucker down as he hopped up and down on one leg. Tucker hit the side of the car that Raven had thrown, and crumpled down onto the ground.

"Gold!" The girls screamed, as Jazz ran to him and Sam stood in front, guarding them from the three titans. Tucker groaned as Jazz helped him sit up against the car. Beastboy faced them from the other side of the car, out of their sight, ready to attack, but stopped when they started talking. "You okay?" Jazz asked. Tucker sighed. "Yeah, I'm good." He said, watching Sam battle against Cyborg and Raven, and Danny fighting against Robin and Starfire. "Go, I'll be fine. Go help Sam. Make sure they don't hurt her. I'll be there in a minute. Just let me catch my breath."

"Okay." Jazz said as she glanced back at him once more before going back over to help Sam. Beastboy turned and placed his back against the side of the car. "Who the heck is Sam?" He wondered, about to go and attack the boy, but stopped when he started to get back up and wrapped his whip around Beastboy, faster than he could register. Beastboy yelled out in surprise and fell down to the side. Cyborg saw Gold standing over Beastboy and ran over. He charged up his sonic blaster and was about to fire at the boy, but stopped when he didn't do anything.

He watched as Gold simply stared at Beastboy, and was about to run back to the others, when Beastboy asked him something. "Hey, wait! You aren't going to hurt me?" He asked. Gold merely stared at him. "Why would I hurt you? Why would any of us hurt you guys?" He asked. "Because you're the bad guys? Duh!" Beastboy exclaimed. Cyborg shook his head at the kid's ignorance. Gold sighed. "You heroes are all the same. Attack first, ask questions never." He glared at Beastboy, before turning and running back towards the girls. Cyborg slowly put down the sonic blaster and ran over to Beastboy, who was squirming like a worm. "Hold still, ya little grass stain." Cyborg said. "Dude, did you see that?" He asked. Cyborg stared at him. "I saw."

Robin slammed his staff across the boy's chest, sending him reeling right into Starfire's arms, where she wrapped them around his chest and started crushing him. "Let..GO!" He exclaimed. releasing a shock wave of ice, hitting Starfire and Robin, sending them back, encasing them in ice. Starfire easily broke through, and flew over to Robin, doing the same for him. When she turned back, she was Arsenic crouched on the ground, breathing heavily. He had some cuts and bruises on his body, but other than the large expanse of energy he had just released, he wasn't too harmed. He saw Starfire and Robin and froze their feet to the ground, going over to the other Faces. "Come on, Star." Robin said, breaking the ice, following the boy into the battle

Danny flew down next to Sam as Jazz whacked Cyborg upside the head and Tucker wrapped Raven in his whip. "You guys okay?" He asked as Robin and Starfire appeared as well. He sighed as he charged up his hands. "Could be better." Sam said as she saw the approaching two titans. Danny threw his hands in Cyborg's direction, freezing the opening to his sonic cannon. "What the..?" Cyborg growled, trying to fire the ice out of the cannon. Robin threw a bird a rang at Danny, who froze it before it could get to him. Starfire threw a punch at the side of his face, which he caught, sending her to the ground. "Leave her alone!" Robin shouted, hitting Danny in the chest.

Danny groaned, holding his chest as he stared at Robin. He glanced towards the others and saw that the Titans were starting to surround them as they peeked at Robin coming towards Danny. Suddenly, Cyborg's cannon blast through the ice, much to his surprise as the blue blast hit the building above Robin's head. The blast crashed into the side of the wall, dislodging boulders the size of small cars, sending them hurtling towards the street. Danny, along with the rest of the titans, gasped as they saw that one of the boulders was headed towards Robin.

Danny stood and flew as fast as he could towards the Boy Wonder, much to his surprise, and grabbed onto his waist, yanking him out of the way of the oncoming rock, into one of the stores below. Robin groaned as he held his head and looked around, seeing Arsenic on the ground next to him, holding his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw Robin. "You...saved me?" He asked. Arsenic said nothing, only flew over to his friends, who were still being cornered by a group of now shocked Titans. They could only stare at Danny as he grabbed his friends. "I think it's time to go." He said as he ran with his friends around the corner of the building, down the shadowed alley, which knocked the Titans out of their trance. Following them down to the end of the alley, they looked around, but saw no trace of the Faces.

They had escaped again.

Robin watched as the Titans appeared from around the corner, confused faces on all of them. "What happened?" He asked. "They disappeared." Cyborg said.

"Again."

* * *

Danny gasped as he collapsed on the concrete floor, sighing in relief that they had escaped.

"Dude, you okay?" Tucker asked as Jazz checked him for wounds. "Yeah, I'm awesome." He sighed, watching Jazz make sure his best friends wasn't hurt, which luckily, he wasn't.

"Man, Robin is so lucky you were there." Sam said. Danny turned over and looked at the ceiling.

 _No WE"RE lucky. If any of them get hurt or worse, that will be seriously bad for us._

 _We'll look like even bigger criminals to them if we hurt their precious heroes._ He thought bitterly.

"You sure you guys are okay?" He asked the group. "Yeah, man. We're fine." Tucker sighed, lying down onto the ground. Sam tossed a sleeping bag towards him, hitting him square in the face. He sat up quickly and glared at the girl, who was now smiling from ear to ear.

Jazz grabbed another one and placed it on the ground next to his, curling up into it, falling asleep instantly, next to a now snoring Tucker. Sam look over to Danny, both of them laughing.

She grabbed two more sleeping bags, tossing one to Danny who unfurled it next to hers.

"You okay?" She asked. Danny sighed as he pulled the cover over his chest, folding his arms under his head. "I guess." He said. Sam slammed her fist down onto his stomach, making him sit up quickly, coughing and sputtering. "What..?" He asked. "Don't lie to me, Danny Fenton!" She whispered as loud as she could as to not wake up the already sleeping two. He sighed and propped himself up with his back leaning against the wall.

"Just worried, I guess. I mean the Titans are better opponents than I first thought. What if they start putting things together? I mean, normal criminals don't go out of their way to save the heroes that want to put them behind bars." He said.

"Well, yeah, but what could you do? You couldn't let him die. I mean, criminals aren't heartless, not even fake criminals." She smirked, hoping to ease the troubled boy's mind. He sighed and placed his head on the cool stone walls. Sam grabbed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Danny was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized what Sam had done, neither had she, until Danny shifted and they both jumped up and blushed when they faced each other.

"Uhh, s..s..sorry." Danny fumbled with his words, causing Sam to smile slightly at his embarrassment. She grabbed his hand again, much to his surprise. "Don't worry, Danny. Everything will be fine. I know it will." She said as Danny lay his head on the end of the sleeping bag, Sam resting her head on his shoulder once more.

"Man, I wish I had your confidence." Danny chuckled as his eyes slowly closed.

"Hehe. Everyone does." Sam said, her cheek brushing the boy's chest as she fell asleep, finally relaxing for the first time in days.

* * *

 **Sorry for the DannyXSam moment. I am not that good at writing couples. And while I do like their relationship in the show, I might not show TOO much in the story.**

 **But don't get upset. I said too much. But I didn't say I wouldn't include it. Just be patient. By the way, another INTERLUDE will be included soon, this one including the Justice League, The Guys In White, and Slade and his new partner. (Do you know who it is? Hope you do, I made it pretty obvious.)**

 **P.S.- Dani fans, your pleas will be answered soon. Just wait.**


	12. Chapter 12: Interlude

**Interlude: The Justice Of Government**

 **G.I.W. Headquarters**

Commander stared at the screen. The Spectral Suspects hadn't been seen in weeks. Not since the incident in Steel City. He growled.

 _How were these teens, these children able to outsmart all of my agents? _He wondered bitterly. He turned away and gazed around the large room at the agents that milled around the room. They had each seemed like such worthy agents when they had been recruited, but lately, they had been reduced to babysitters that couldn't even handle the runaway babies. He shook his head at hoe easily these kids had fooled his agents.

They were worthless.

He clenched his fists. He would get these kids. He knew he would.

"Sir." He turned his head.

"What is it, Agent M?" He asked the women dressed in all white, identical to every other agent in the room.

"The DNA finder has had a slight setback." She said, slightly nervous at how he would react. "It'll take a coupe more weeks for it to finally work to full capacity and be able to locate the Ghost boy and his friends." She said, getting quieter with every word. Commander silently fumed. Agent M took this as a sign and left his to simmer in the silence.

He opened his eyes once more.

 _Fine Ghost Boy. You've got a little more time of freedom. But don't get used to it. We aren't the only ones looking for you. The Justice League can find you before we do, and it'll end just like it would if we caught you. They'll turn you in to us, and it'll be over._

He walked down the stairs and out of the control room.

 _If you think you can get away, Daniel Fenton. You need to think again._

He stopped when he finally faced a large grey door.

He placed his hand against the panel, feeling it scan it. It beeped and the door opened. He walked into the dark room and turned on the lights. The room brightened to reveal a pure white room with steel counters lining all of the walls, each one filled with different gleaming tools. Some of them were covered in mysterious black liquids, others were hung on the wall that were too big, or too sharp to lay on the table. In the middle of the room was a steel table with leather restraints that glowed a sickly green. Above that was a large machine that hung down from the ceiling that hovered over it, a large needle and other tools hanging from it.

 _Soon, I'll get you in this room._

 _Just you wait._

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

Superman stared through the window, gazing at the earth from the tower. It seemed so small, so quiet, so peaceful. But he knew that was anything but the truth.

He closed his eyes and thought about the situation. They hadn't seen the Spectral Suspects in weeks.

 _Those kids are good._ Clark had to admit. But there was something about those kids that was really throwing him. They weren't like other criminals. They actually seemed...scared. Like they were scared of us. But they're the criminals. They had to know people would be after them.

"Something bothering you." The Flash appeared in a blur of light next to the man. He sighed.

Those kids we're after." He said.

"Oh, I like those kids." He said, even though Clark gave him a weird look. "What? They were funny." He said.

"So what's eating at you?" Barry asked. Clark sighed. "Those kids just aren't what I was expecting."

"None of us expected it." Bruce sad, appearing behind them, making Barry jump. "Man, we have GOT to get you a bell." He said.

"Those kids are more of a problem than we first thought." Bruce said, staring out the window.

"But that doesn't change anything. They're still criminals. Criminals we have to apprehend, before anyone gets hurt." He said.

"But they haven't hurt anyone. They haven't even tried to, apart from the agents." Clark said. "That agency is saying that they're extremely dangerous, that they'd kill you before even batting an eye, but they haven't shown anything that matches that. They're acting like what they are, scared kids on the run." He said.

"But, why would they lie?" Barry asked. Bruce knew the answer all too well. They needed people to do their dirty work. Bruce wanted to stop, to get away from that organization that gave him a bad feeling, but if they did, suspicion would arise on them, and then they would never be able to get these kids help. He frowned and turned away from the other two.

He knew that organization was up to something, but he just couldn't figure out what.

 _What did they want with the boy?_

 _What would they do once they got him?_

 _Would they obey the Meta-Human Acts or the Anti-Ecto Acts?_

 _Do the Meta-Human Acts even apply to him?_

He sighed. They had to find that kid before the organization did. If the GIW found them before they did then there was nothing they could do to stop them from taking him. He knew he should tell the team, but they would probably just deny it. They didn't know the government like Bruce did, they didn't know how far they were willing to go to get what they wanted, and they almost always got what they wanted.

Bruce growled, something he was known for, apparently. The Fenton Finder could only detect his signature from so far. They had to be a specific distance from the boy. So far, they had been flying over certain parts of certain cities where they might be hiding, but so far, they hadn't been able to come up with anything. He wanted to help this kid, he really did. But if the government found him before they did, Bruce was pretty sure he was as good as dead.

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

Slade sighed as his partner walked into the room. "What are we waiting for? We know where they are. Why don't we strike now?!" Plasmius yelled.

"Patience, Plasmius. Everything is going according to plan." Slade smiled behind his mask as he gazed at the video feed of the four teens sleeping peacefully in the factory. The camera that Plasmius had planted inside the room a few days ago was still in working condition.

"We just have to be patient." He smiled.

Vlad frowned and walked out of the room. The plan was going accordingly. But still...he wasn't sure. He knew Slade was planning on betraying him when he finally got his hands **_it_**. He would just have to be ready, and betray him first. _That_ thought made him smile


	13. Chapter 13:Captured

**Chapter 13: Captured**

 **Titans** **Tower**

"It's almost done, but still, not ready. Maybe a couple more hours." Cyborg explained, watching the machine work, trying to figure out what the mysterious liquid was.

Robin growled and walked out of the room.

He was now more confused than ever. That boy, Arsenic. Why had he saved him? If he was just another criminal, saving him wouldn't be his priority. But deep down, Robin knew he wasn't just another criminal, none of them were. He knew who they really were, he just hoped his team wouldn't think he was insane.

He passed Raven on the way to his room. "Robin, I need to talk to you." She said. Robin turned, surprised she had acknowledged him. Robin knew most of the time to leave the girl alone, but if SHE wanted to talk, he knew it was important.

"Uh, sure, Raven. Come on." He said, leading her to his room. He sat down on the corner of the table and faced the girl who stood in his doorway. "What is it?"

"That boy...Arsenic. When I fought him, I got the same feeling as when we were fighting Plasmius. Like he was dead, but alive at the same time." She explained. Robin narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.

"You know something, don't you?" She asked, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked up at her, knowing that she was one of his most trusted friends, someone he could trust more than anyone, sharing a bond they didn't have with all of the other Titans. He sighed. "I may be crazy, but something in my gut is telling me i'm right, and the evidence is all pointing to it." He said. Raven nodded and motioned for him to continue.

He took a deep breath and voiced his thoughts. "I think The Forgotten Faces are the Spectral Suspects." He braced himself to be yelled at for being so paranoid, or whatever Raven's version of yelling was, but whatever it was, it never came. He looked at the girl, and surprisingly, she was nodding silently.

"That does make sense. I noticed that the stance he took in front of the others was the same as all of the footage of their battles. And that unknown substance could be ectoplasm, what ghosts are made of. And the biggest thing is that it WOULD explain why I felt what I felt when I fought him. If he was the Ghost Boy, that would explain why he feels half dead and half alive, and why he saved you."

Robin nodded along, thinking the exact same things. "But, we'll need more evidence to prove this." He explained. Raven nodded. "We should tell the team." She said as they walked back out into the hallway. Robin followed more slowly.

Maybe I should do more research on those kids.

They didn't seem evil.

 _Ugg! Snap out of it, Robin! This is the exact same mistake you made with Terra!_

 _But, Terra wasn't evil, not at first at least._ Robin stopped dead in his tracks at this thought.

 _We couldn't help her, so she left to find help, just...with the wrong people._

He continued walking down the hallway.

 _Ugg, I've been acting like an idiot!_

 _Maybe I can stop these kids from making the same mistakes...before it's too late._

* * *

"YOU THINK WHO IS WHAT?!" Beastboy shouted. Cyborg stood up and placed a hand on his forehead and another pointed at Robin and Raven. "Hang on. So you guys think those guys we fought yesterday, those masked vigilantes are The Spectral Suspects, the most wanted criminals in the whole freakin' nation?!"

"Pretty much." Raven deadpanned.

"But why would the Suspects of Specters attack us? Have we done something to upset them?" Starfire asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Robin asked. His mind had been trying to figure out why they WOULD attack them.

"Well, to be fair, we kinda attacked them." Beastboy said quietly.

The team stopped and stared at the little green boy. Robin thought back to all of the clips he had seen of the Spectral Suspects' fights. Now that he thought about it, they had never provoked any of them, in all of them, they were defending themselves. He furrowed his brow, trying to figure out the group. The government was claiming that they were kids, accomplices to an evil ghost boy, Daniel Fenton. But Robin was having second thoughts about that claim, especially since the act Daniel had committed to save him.

"I..." Robin cleared his throat, hoping he was making the right choice,

hoping he was protecting his team,

hoping he was not making another mistake.

"I think we need to help them." He finally choked out.

The team looked at him, surprise showing in their faces. They all knew what Robin thought of The Spectral Suspects. They all felt similar about them. Sympathy, but wariness since Terra about trusting others, especially when those others were wanted criminals.

"Okay, so what changed your mind?" Cyborg asked with a narrowed eye. Robin sighed. "Honestly, do you guys feel any different? I've been worried that if we felt sympathy for these guys, then they'll turn out just like Terra. But, from what I can see from all of the videos and clips, do they really seem like the evil criminals they're said to be?" He asked the team. They looked at him, staying silent. "Look, I know they're criminals. I know they've committed crimes. I know nothing can change that. But all I want to do is talk to them, get their side of the story. Let them explain themselves." He explained.

"Lately, I've been kind of blinded by what I've wanted to see, nothing but a gang of criminals that need to be brought down. I know we can't trust them, I know they're criminals. But...i still want to help. I don't want them going to the bad people for help they couldn't get anywhere else. I don't want them to be like Terra." He stayed silent, waiting for the team's reaction. Raven floated up next to him, much to the rest of the teams surprise. "Robin's right. I know they're wanted criminals, but..."

"...That doesn't mean we can't try and help them." Beastboy finished.

Cyborg and Starfire nodded along. Robin smiled and narrowed his eyes. "Now we just need proof the Faces are the Suspects." Cyborg said. "I think I have a plan for that. I know that if anyone ever called me by my first name, I would react, even if it was just for a second. If we call them by their first names, and they react, in any way, we'll know." He said.

Raven frowned. "But still...I want to be sure."

"Well how about this." Cyborg said as he read some information from his electric arm. The results for that liquid came back." He paused and looked at the group.

"It's ghost DNA, mixed with human."

* * *

 **Abandoned Factory**

"Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty!" Sam smirked down at a now awakening Danny. He groaned and pushed himself up, blushing when he saw Sam, causing the girl to do the same.

"Man, what happened with you two last night?" Tucker asked as he rummaged through the small pile of food they had along with Jazz, who sat next to him, a smile on her face.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing!"

They both cried, only blushing deeper when they realized. Jazz laughed. "Sure, okay." She said, tossing them a bag of chips. "Breakfast of champions." She said, crunching down on a stale doughnut. Danny sighed and sat down next to her, Sam by his side.

The morning went by slowly, mostly, the group just went over some of the foggy moments from the night before.

"Wait. Beastboy full-out talked to you?" Danny asked. "Yep, while he was tied up, he asked if I was going to hurt him, which he was surprised at my answer." He said, now with a full stomach, or, as full as his stomach could get with the amount of food they had.

"Yeah, what was with that? They were so surprised when we wouldn't destroy them." Jazz said.

"Or when Danny saved Robin. I'm pretty sure they swallowed a few flies with their mouths hanging open like that." Sam sneered. "I guess they weren't expecting a gang of 'filthy vigilantes' to have hearts." Danny sighed wearily, staring at the ground.

Sam shared concerned looks with the others as she stared at Danny's tired form. She placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Look, Danny. We know this has been hard on you.." She started.

"It's been hard on all of us." He interjected.

"Yeah, but the rest of us weren't heroes that battled the people we're pretending to be!" Jazz yelled. Danny shut his mouth and sighed.

"Look, I know it's hard fighting the Titans, especially since you don't want to hurt them because...well...because you were them, but..." Sam trailed off, not knowing how to continue. Danny grabbed her hands. "I know. We have to." He said glancing towards the others.

"We have to."

* * *

 **Titans** **Tower**

 **5 hours later**

"Something tells me they won't go quietly." Raven said as Robin tried to locate where the Faces might appear next.

"Yeah, dude. I don't think they'll want to just drop in for tea and cookies." Beastboy smirked. Robin sighed, knowing they were right.

"We'll probably have to knock them out, or at least, the ghost boy, and get them in separate interrogation rooms. When they wake up we'll be able to talk to them." He said, finishing with a growl as once again, his search came up empty. "Do not despair, Robin. I am sure we will locate our soon to be friends." Starfire smiled cheerfully.

"Uhh Star, they might not want to be friends with us." Raven said, looking towards the Tameranian. Starfire looked crestfallen, until Beastboy placed a hand on her shoulder. "But hey, there's always a chance, right Raven?" He said, pointedly staring at the cloaked girl. Raven sighed. "Sure, they'll love to be best buds with the heroes that knocked them out and captured them." She deadpanned.

Starfire perked up and smiled, oblivious to the statement that was dripping in sarcasm. "Glorious, I will prepare for the addition of four new friends!"

"Hang on, hang on. I just thought of something." Beastboy said.

"That's a first." Raven sighed. Beastboy glared at her and continued.

"I just realized that the Ghost Boy can turn invisible and intangible. How do we stop someone we might not be able to see or touch?" He asked.

"Already got that covered." Cyborg said, walking into the room, carrying a pile of machinery.

"See, I've adjusted my sensors to pick up the different fluctuations in air temperatures, like when a ghost is near, we''ll be able to detect him when he's invisible. And for the intangible act, I got that figured out too." He smirked as he tossed Starfire and Beastboy small glowing wristbands. "Those should let you guys touch him even when normal people can't. Raven, your powers already work on him, and Robin..." He tossed a glowing green staff, similar to the staff that Copper used. "That should work on him like your regular staff." He said.

"How did you make all of this?" Beastboy asked, playing with his new band. "Remember when we took out those ghosts a while back, well, I used the residue to create ghost weapons. And with the DNA that the Ghost Boy left yesterday, I was able to make equipment that locks on to his specific signature. We got them." Cyborg smiled and crossed his arms, pleased with himself. Robin nodded and turned towards the window that overlooked the city.

"Do not fear, Robin. We will locate them." Starfire said, placing a hand on his shoulder as she flew to his side. "I know. I just...I'm worried. What if we're too late? What if we're too late?" He asked as the rest of the team looked at each other, sharing worried glances.

Suddenly, the screen started flashing a bright red as it turned to a news broadcast, showing the Faces.

"Guess we're not too late!" Robin said. "Remember the plan! Knock out Daniel and restrain the others!" He shouted as they left for the city.

* * *

 **Downtown Jump City**

Danny and the others chuckled to themselves as Dr. Light was brought down. "He kind of reminds me of Technus. I mean, the whole 'I am the great and powerful, Nothing can stop me, blah, blah, blah." Danny laughed, while the others did the same.

"You won't be laughing for long, Daniel." Robin said, jumping onto the scene, the other Titans behind him, but Danny paid no attention. His ears were still ringing with the name Robin had just used.

 _Daniel._

The others looked at him, the same fearful look on their faces. Robin say these and glanced back towards the others. He nodded and the narrowed their eyes.

"You can't win, Tucker." Cyborg yelled, much to the boy's shock.

"Time to stop running, Jazz!" Beastboy shouted. The girl looked at him with wide eyes.

"Give up, soon to be friend Sam!" Starfire shouted. Sam stared at her shocked, then shook her head and growled. "I am not your friend."

They stared at each other for a while before Danny finally floated down to the ground in front of the others as they lined up, slightly behind him. He hesitated, then narrowed his eyes and removed him mask to reveal a boy with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes with small, faded scars across his face. The others did the same, revealing Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, and Jazz Fenton.

The Spectral Suspects

"Well, I guess that's it then." Danny said quietly, almost too quiet for the Titans to hear, as he transformed into Phantom, much to the Titans surprise. Even thought they knew what he could do, it still surprised them to see it in person. He grabbed his friends, "Well, so sorry to cut this short, but we'll be going..." He said as he turned invisible, only to have a hand roughly grab onto him arm and drag him back down. "Nowhere." Cyborg said, as Danny dropped the invisibility out of shock.

"Listen, we only want to help you guys." Robin said, only for them to laugh. "Ha, that's rich. You think we'll fall for that!?" Sam sneered. She narrowed his eyes and gave them a death glare that could rival even Raven's. The others did the same. "Do you think we're fools? Well, we know what happens now from firsthand experience!" Jazz growled at them.

"And if it's a fight you want..." Tucker snarled as he got into a defensive stance.

"It's a fight you'll get!" Danny yelled as he tackled Robin to the ground. The other Titans turned their heads about to help him, only to be distracted as the other teens attacked them as well.

* * *

"You just couldn't let it go, could you?" Danny growled as his hands glowed. "You really are like all of the others. Well, if you think I'll let you hurt my friends, You can think again!" He screamed as he charged Robin.

The boy Wonder grabbed his staff and whacked the boy in the shoulder, sending him tumbling to the ground.

He growled and fired a green beam from his hands, much to Robin's surprise that it wasn't blue like usual. Danny only smirked at this. "Now that you guys know who we really are, I don't have to hide all my powers anymore." He turned his gaze towards Robin, grinning slightly. "Let's have some fun!" He yelled as he flew into the air and fired a barrage of shots at the Boy Wonder, only to have him flip and dodge them expertly.

Robin rummaged through his belt and pulled out an explosive, chucking it in Danny's direction. He gasped as it exploded above him, sending him crashing to the ground. He got up and was about he charge again, when his arm was encased in magic and he was raised into the air. He turned his head and saw Raven with her hands raised as she maintained the spell.

Danny sighed. "Ugg, the Raven and the Robin working together again. Well, you bird brains need to migrate for the WINTER" HE screamed as he fired a blue blast out of his hands and hurled it in their direction.

* * *

Sam faced Starfire once more, anger clearly written on her face.

"Please! We do no wish to harm you We want to help!" She pleaded only to have Sam snicker at her.

"Please, as if i'd believe you. You just want to capture us without having to fight. Well think again!" She yelled as she grabbed the girl's shoulders and threw her to the ground.

Starfire flew up into the air and sighed, "Very well. If I cannot reason with you. Then fight we must. But hear this! This is one battle I cannot let you win!" She shouted as she reluctantly charging up her hands. They obviously weren't going to listen to reason. So they would have to use plan B.

She charged at the girl, firing a barrage of bolts only to have the girl dodge them and fire a shot of her own out of the ray on her wrist. Starfire flew up and fired a beam from her eyes at Sam. She raised her gloved hands and deflected the beam, her feet scraping the ground as she was pushed back. Sam lowered her hands and only saw the fist for a moment before it connected with her check and sent her reeling to the ground.

Starfire gasped. She hadn't meant to punch the girl so hard.

She flew over to the girl that lay on the ground, but gasped as she flipped over and hit the alien with a blast in the chest, knocking her tho the ground.

Sam then saw her opportunity and tackled the distracted girl, wrestling her to the ground, yanking on her red hair, scratching her skin, doing anything she could to bring the girl down and keep her away from Danny. Even she could figure out their plan, distract them long enough and restraint them so that they could go for Danny.

She merely gritted her teeth as she continued to wrestle the girl. They weren't going to hurt him, not while she could help it.

* * *

Tucker dodged a fist that swung for his chest, kicking Cyborg in the face, sending the teen tumbling back. "Man, that is one strong kick.' He said as he rubbed his chin.

"Well, ya kind of need one when the whole world is after you." He sneered as he fired a shot from his ray, hitting the robot in the chest.

Cyborg groaned. "Please, we only want to help."

Tucker merely laughed. "Please, do you really expect me to believe that" He sneered.

"Uh, yeah." Cyborg said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Tucker growled and wrapped his whip around him. "Listen Tin Man. We don't trust anyone anymore. You guys are all the same. You don't want to help us. You only want to help yourselves. You're the heroes, you do what the people believe is right, and right now, what they believe is right is really wrong. But you don't care. If they think we're the criminals, you blast first and ask questions never!"

He shot a blast at the teen again, only he dodged it this tine, slipping through the whip he raised his arm, charging his sonic cannon, only for Tucker to wrap his whip around the boy's arm, dragging him down to the ground.

"Ya know what really sucks? We never did anything wrong. We never did anything to hurt anyone. But people only see what they want to see and right now, they want to see a gang of filthy criminals running cross-country with a ghost. They don't want to stop and think about whether those kids really deserve it, they just want someone to suffer, cause that's human nature. Someone always has to suffer." Tucker growled as he raised his ray and blasted again and again, only to have Cyborg dodge and fire his own weapons.

Tucker reared his arm, about to throw a punch, only to have Cyborg grab it and flip him onto his back.

"Dude, you need to relax!" He said, only for Tucker to blast him in the chest once more. "I haven't relaxed since we've started this whole thing, So don't tell me what to DO!" He yelled as he fired again.

* * *

Jazz groaned a Beastboy twisted her arm.

"Come on! Why can't you guys just calm down and believe us?" Beastboy asked as she kicked his legs and twisted around punching him in the face.

"Because people lie! Everyone we've encountered on this journey has wanted to hurt us. Why are you guys any different?" She yelled.

Beastboy sighed, realizing she wasn't going to listen to him and turned into a gorilla, charging her. She turned to the side and swept his legs, causing him to go crashing to the ground. She raised her arm. Beastboy screamed as he saw three glowing green blasts coming towards him.

He quickly morphed into a bird and flew into the air, trying to dodge the blasts. As he flew, Jazz continued to fire. When he started to fly right above her head, she grabbed her staff and threw it like a spear, hitting him in the head, sending him crashing to the ground.

As she walked over to him, she saw that he was laying on his back, drool escaping from his mouth as his eyes danced. She grimaced and turned only to see a large snake slithering in her direction. She growled and squirmed as he wrapped himself around her. She groaned as she felt him squeeze , trying to get her to stop moving so much. She felt his head rub against her back and she stopped moving, a grin appearing on her face as she flopped onto her back, crushing his head between the ground and her back.

The snake started to shrink and disappear, only for a spider to crawl onto her shoulder and quickly transform into a badger, scratching and clawing at her face as she tried to get him off.

* * *

Danny groaned as he pushed himself up off of the ground.

He faced his two opponents with a snarl on is face, all of the anger that had been building up inside him starting to bubble to the surface. He flew into the air and dove for the two, dodging the blasts that they sent his way. He rammed into Robin's shoulder, sending the boy tumbling across the hard ground.

Raven then fired a blast at the boy's chest, making contact as he was blown back. He sighed and got up, slower than usual, Robin noticed, and faced them again, phasing through the ground. Robin gasped as he wildly whipped his head around trying to find the ghost, when suddenly, he felt a hard punch to his chin as the boy phased through the ground and sent him flying through the air. Raven gasped and charged the kid, encasing four cars with her magic as she did so, throwing them in Danny's direction as he hovered in the air.

He froze the first,

dodged the second,

and split the third in half with an ecto-blast.

He didn't expect the fourth one, though, as it collided with him, sending him crashing to the ground, the car landing dangerously close to him.

Robin ran up just as he fell, standing beside Raven. The cloaked girl turned her head and realized that the plan was falling together. The other titans were beating back the teens. "Robin." She called out motioning towards the others. He nodded as he left Raven to deal with the tired boy as Robin went to help the others restrain the teens.

Raven faced him once more as she positioned herself so Danny wouldn't be able to see what Robin was doing, or what position his friends were in. "Where's Bird Boy?" He smirked as his hands glowed, although they glowed a fainter green than when they had started. "It's just you and me." She said was her hand also glowed with energy.

"Fine." Danny narrowed his eyes as he flew towards her.

She didn't expect him to dive right before he hit her, grabbing her cloak as he went underneath her, dragging her along with him. She screamed out as he dragged her through the air at great speeds, before he threw her down into the ground below. She groaned and pushed herself up, facing the boy once more. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She screamed as she shot her hands towards him, a bright beam of magic hitting him in the chest, causing him to cry out. She stopped, not realizing how strong the blast had been.

He crouched down on one knee, trying to catch his breath, clearing his vision, which was now swimming with black dots. He took a deep breath and stood up once more. "I...could do this...all day." He said in between breaths.

"But, this is ending soon!" Cyborg yelled as he rammed into the boy's shoulder, sending him sprawling to the ground once more.

He turned and faced the mechanical teen, but stopped when he saw his friends behind him. they were all propped up against one of the far building walls, their hands cuffed together, courtesy of Robin. "Guys!" He yelled as he flew above the Titan's head, completely forgetting about him, as he landed next to them. "Hang on, I'll get these off." He said as he built up the ice in his hands, realizing their wrist rays were gone, but their Fenton Phones, which were the only piece of equipment the Titans hadn't taken, were still in their ears. He was about to freeze Sam's cuffs, when she screamed. "Danny, look out!" He didn't even have enough time to turn his head, when he felt a sharp pain in his cheek as Starfire punched him with a glowing green hand.

"Leave him alone!" Sam yelled. Starfire lowered her head and closed her eyes, knowing they wouldn't like seeing what came next.

The Titans all surrounded Danny, who was slowly pushing himself up off of the ground. They surrounded him in a circle, each with defensive stances, staring at him with narrowed eyes, each filled with hesitation and sorrow. None of them wanted to hurt the kid who needed their help the most, but they all knew knocking him out would be the only way to peacefully get him and the others to the tower.

Danny faced them, his fists clenched and his eyes glowing green, but he stopped when he heard Sam yelling. "Danny, run! Get out of here! Fly away as fast as possible!"

Robin paused, wanting to see how he would respond, although, he pretty much knew how the boy would answer. "No way am I leaving you guys, Sam. We either escape together..." He said, only for Tucker to continue. "Or we DIE together! Dude, not the best options."

The titans stopped and started at each other.

 _Do these kids really think we would kill them? Or are they talking about what will happen if they are handed over?_ Robin wondered, but shook his head when he realized he still had a job to do.

"Surrender now, Daniel!" He said, hoping the kid would listen, even though he knew better. The kid reminded him of himself, and if he knew anything about himself, it's that he would NEVER surrender.

"In your dreams, Bird Boy! I'm not going to let you hurt my friends. Not without a fight." He smirked at them. "And it's Danny!"

Robin sighed." Fine. Titans, GO!"

They surged forward.

Danny jumped over Beastboy as he ran by in ram form, but gasped as Cyborg blasted in out of the air, down onto the ground hard, where Starfire grabbed his legs and threw him high into the air, only for Raven to blast him back down, where Robin had thrown two small explosives, that blew just as Danny hit the ground.

Once the smoke cleared, the Titans surveyed the area. In the middle of where they stood, a small crater now was, and in the middle was Danny, who was standing on two wobbly legs, but none the less, he was still standing, with the same smirk on his face. "That all you got?" He asked. The Titans looked at each other.

 _This kid was tough._

He fired a large green blast that ripped up the road where they once stood.

 _Really tough._

Robin ran forward and slammed his staff into Danny's side, sending the kid right into Cyborg's grasp, where he threw the kid to the ground, sending him skidding across the pavement where he ended up lying next to Sam. "Danny!" She, along with the two others, cried. She shifted over to him and shook his shoulder. He groaned and slowly pushed himself up. His arms shaking as he did so.

Cyborg looked over to Robin. "This kid isn't going down." He whispered loudly, just loud enough for the other titans to hear him and Robin's response. 'Just keep hitting him with everything you've got. Don't hold back." They nodded, although that didn't mean they had to like it.

They faced the boy once again. His suit was now torn in many places. His hair was ruffled up and dirty and his eyes glowed a very dull green. The titans charged him once more. Raven reached him first. grabbing his arms with her magic and throwing him down to the ground. Cyborg reared his arm, about to throw a punch, only for the teen to catch it and freeze his arm once more.

Beastboy jumped towards him, but Danny merely caught him and threw him at Starfire.

Danny sighed as his kegs shook even more violently than before, only to have a hard kick in the back of his knee bring him down. He turned onto his back and twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a jab from Robin's staff. He stood up and swept the boy's legs, only for Robin to prop himself up on him staff and hit Danny in the chest with the metal rod. Danny gasped as he felt a sickening crack as he crumpled to the ground.

"Danny!" His friends yelled as they struggled against their restraints. Robin faced the boy as Starfire and Raven flew past him, his cape billowing from the breeze they created. He winced as he heard Danny scream at the searing heat as Raven and Starfire blasted him together. Starfire then floated down to the ground, much to Raven's surprise.

"I cannot! I will not harm him anymore. It is too much. " She cried out, turning away from the sight of his shuddering body.

Robin placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Star. I understand. This is over anyway." He said as he walked over to the boy, who lay on his back, breathing in ragged gasps.

They rest of the Titans gathered around their leader as he gripped his staff and gazed at the boy.

Danny looked at him with sad, tired eyes as he let his head fall limply to the side and his body lay still, apart from the occasional rising and falling of his chest.

"I'm sorry." Robin said as Cyborg bent down and gently picked the boy up in his arms and cradled him close to his chest, Danny's arms hanging limply.

"You BASTARDS!" Sam screamed, while Jazz snarled at them and Tucker spit in their general direction. Raven simply encased the cuffs in magic and gently hauled them to their feet.

Robin turned to his team, which was battered and bruised, like he was.

"Let's go home."


	14. Chapter 14: Truth Revealed

**Chapter 14: Truth Revealed**

 **Titans Tower**

 **1 hour later**

Danny groaned and cracked open her eyes.

"Guys...?" He asked weakly. He gasped as his eyes finally adjusted to the surroundings. Instead of the grey building where they usually resided, Danny was in a white room with a mirror on the far wall, parallel to him.

He tried to stand, but found that his hands were tied down. They were clamped down to a metal table that lay in front of him. The cuffs rubbed against his wrists as he tried to get out of them. He tried to phase out of the cuffs, but found that he couldn't. In fact, the cuffs started glowing an eerie green as he tried to, and reverted back to normal when he became tangible again. The same went for his legs, which were clamped down to the ground by the ankles. He was trapped

He glanced down at himself and found that he was Fenton. His chest and arms were wrapped in bandages, much to his surprise. He frantically glanced around. "Sam? Tucker? Jazz?" He twisted around, only to find he was the only one in the room.

He glared at the mirror.

"Where are they?!"

* * *

Robin watched the boy wake up in the room through the one-way mirror. He sighed as the boy tried to understand where he was.

Cyborg walked up next to him.

"How are the others?" He asked the robot. He responded with a sigh. "Still pissed. Maybe we should go in now. Find out what they know. I mean, they've been in those rooms for about an hour now."

Robin groaned, trying to figure out what to do.

 _Should he go in with the boy or send someone else in?_

 _And what about the other teens?_

He glanced behind him at the other doors that lined the wall. Each held a member of The Spectral Suspects. The one in front of him that held Daniel was encased in an Anti-Ghost Shield. Even if the boy managed to escape the cuffs, he couldn't escape the room.

He turned to the other doors, and glanced at Cyborg as the other titans appeared behind him.

"I'm going to talk to his sister." He glanced towards each titan as he gave them their orders.

"Raven, go with Starfire and talk to Samantha."

"Beastboy and Cyborg, go to Tucker."

"And what about Daniel?" Raven asked as the team stared through the window at the boy, who was glaring at the mirror.

Robin sighed. "Once we're done with the others, I'll go in and talk to him, make sure their stories match." He turned back to the team. "You all know what to ask?" He said. They all nodded as they gripped the papers in their hands, each loaded with specific questions to ask each kid. Robin nodded.

"Good luck."

* * *

Jazz jumped as the door opened and Robin entered. She glared at him and snarled. She hadn't been this angry with someone since Vlad had tried to get her to hurt Danny. She shifted and the cuffs on her wrists clanked together.

"What do you want?" She growled at him.

He said nothing and grabbed the chair that sat on the other side of the table. "I have some questions I want you to answer." He said, finally

Jazz smirked. "I'm sure you do. But what makes you so sure I'll answer." Robin narrowed his eyes. "Do what you want, but I have three other teens that have the same answers, that is, if they're true." He said quietly.

Jazz sighed, knowing it was pointless. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

Robin glanced at the paper, even though he knew most of the questions by heart.

"You are Jasmine Fenton, correct?" He asked, even though it was a tedious question.

She growled at him. "It's Jazz."

"Okay, Jazz. Let's talk about your brother." Robin said, only to have her glower at him. "Why can't you just leave him alone?" She asked. Robin sighed and continued.

"How did he get his ghost powers?"

Jazz bit her lip, debating whether to tell him anything, only to have him speak up for her. "Please, you might be able to help him if you cooperate with us."

That made her angry. "Oh, like how you helped him by knocking him out?!" Robin lowered his gaze. "Would he have come with us peacefully?" He asked. Jazz shut her mouth and glared down at the cold steel of the metal table. "Our parents are ghost hunters. They were always making crazy contraptions. Well...they finally made something that seemed extra crazy. A ghost portal."

"Something tells me you didn't believe." Robin smirked. "Would you have? I mean, ghosts!" Jazz yelled, then continued. "Well, it didn't work at first, so while Danny was hanging out with his friends in the basement, I guess they dared him to go in. He messed with something and it turned on...with him in it."

Robin wrote down everything he was hearing so that they could compare it with what the others said.

"He then came out as Danny Phantom. After that, everything started getting crazy."

* * *

Sam glared at the two girls that continued asking her questions left and right about her time with Danny.

"So after he got his powers, you started fighting ghosts, right?" Raven asked. Sam sighed. "Yes, once again, you have correctly answered one of your own questions. Is this going anywhere?" Sam sneered. Starfire and Raven shared a look, that didn't go unnoticed by Sam. "What didn't expect me to be snappy? Well better get used to it." She growled at them.

Starfire sighed. "I apologize for what we had to do to you, but it was necessary." She pleaded, only to have Sam clench her hands. "You think saying your sorry will fix this?! How stupid are you?!" Starfire shrunk back at the girl's harsh words as she continued.

"You hunted us,

you hurt us,

you hurt me,

and worse, you hurt DANNY!" She pulled against the restraints, only to have Raven push her back down with her magic.

"Calm down, Samanth..."

"It's SAM" She snarled darkly.

Raven sighed. "Sam, we did what we had to do, but we weren't lying about wanting to help you guys. So let us."

Sam stopped moving and lowered her head. "What's the next question?" She sighed.

"Why did you help Danny when he got his power?" She asked. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Danny was my best friend, even before the accident. And I'm basically the one who gave him his powers when I made his step into that portal, so I thought it as my responsibility to help him use his powers for good. He wasn't evil. He was never evil, no matter what anyone might claim. He only ever used them for good." She stopped and sighed, chuckling at a memory.

"Although, when we first started, it wasn't easy."

"How so?" Raven asked.

"Well for one thing, he could barely control his powers. They were so weird to him. He barely had any control, so that made it even harder to hide from his parents, which would have torn him apart if they ever found out, which is what he claimed."

"You do not think they would have hurt him?" Starfire asked.

Sam only sighed and closed her eyes tightly. "Well, before all of this started, I thought he shouldn't when he first got his powers. I knew from first-hand experience that parents don't understand when kids are only being who they really are. But as time went on, I urged him to tell them, to stop all of the hiding around, all the secrets, because I saw how it ate at him. He wanted to tell them, but he was afraid of what they would think." She narrowed her eyes and spat out the rest with anger and distrust.

"But then, we saw the weapons the Justice League had. His parents gave them the weapons to hunt us down, to hunt him down. They betrayed him! I couldn't believe it. Danny was so distraught. None of us could believe that his own parents..." She paused. "None of us could believe it. Danny took it hard. This has all been hard on him, on all of us, and people like you don't make it any easier." She snarled at them.

Raven furrowed her brow in thought.

"So what's the next question?" Sam sighed as she played with the cuffs.

Raven glanced down at the list.

* * *

"Okay, all of these questions aside!" Cyborg said as he pushed the paper away and got up in the boy's face.

"How the heck did you hack into my systems?!" He yelled.

Tucker merely smirked at him. "Please, I've hacked into systems like that ever since I was ten." cyborg's human eye twitched as he sat back down into the chair and crossed his arms, grumbling to himself.

"Uh, okay then." Beastboy said as he grabbed the paper and read off of it once more. "What's your relationship with Danny?"

Tucker sighed. "I've known Danny for years. We've been best friends forever. When he got his powers, it had to have been the coolest thing ever to happen to us. I mean, do I wish it had happened to me? Maybe..." Tucker admitted. "But nevertheless, I've always been there for him, through everything. Now that we're on the run, I need to be here even more. I mean, he's like a brother to me." He said.

He lowered is gaze as he remembered when he had last seen him, broken and bruised on the road.

"Is he okay?" He asked. Cyborg nodded. "Yeah, dude. He's fine." Beastboy said. Tucker sat back in the chair, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"You're risking a lot for this kid. Aren't you worried about yourself?" Cyborg asked, earning a harsh glare from Tucker.

"Do you guys really think we're evil criminals?! I'm not going to abandon my best friends. He needs all of us. We've been through everything, TOGETHER. Sure, we've had stupid arguments, but, come on! I'm not going to leave him to tackle this all by himself.

We aren't the evil criminals you think we are."

* * *

"Okay, let's talk about the Pariah Dark incident." Robin said to the girl.

"Amity Park ended up in a parallel dimension. How did that all happen?"

She sighed once more at another question.

"Well, Danny could probably answer this better than I can, but Pariah Dark came to Amity, looking for a weapon f his that had been stolen. He ended up dragging all of Amity into the Ghost Zone, that parallel dimension you were talking about. Danny went to his lair to fight him. And he eventually defeated him, freeing the town, bringing us back to reality.

Most of the town thought of him as a hero after that, but you know, there were still people who were skeptical." Jazz explained as Robin continued to write.

* * *

"What about when he stole all of that jewelry and money?" Raven asked.

"That wasn't him. He was being controlled by a ringmaster for a circus that was in town. The guy was arrested when he was found with all of the stolen property and it was all returned." Sam explained.

"Danny had no control over what he was doing." She said as Starfire wrote down what she was saying.

"In fact, he barely remembers any of it, but me and Tucker do. Jazz wasn't there when it all happened. In fact, we didn't even know she knew about Danny's secret at the time." Sam explained to the girls, hoping they would believe it.

* * *

"In his list of crimes, it said he kidnapped and assaulted the mayor. Anything to say about that?" Cyborg asked.

"Plenty." Tucker sneered at him.

"During that time, there was a huge ghost invasion going on because of a ghost named Walker.

Anyway, he wanted Danny to seem like an enemy in the eyes of the people, so he overshadowed the mayor. Basically, he inhabited the body and pretended to be him.

"Well, he made it look like Danny was attacking him, when really, he was just trying to stop him, and his goons. Besides, you can probably find a picture of the incident and the mayor's eyes should be red, showing possession. Also, I bet if you asked him, the mayor wouldn't have any recollection of the incident at all." Tucker said, crossing his arms.

Cyborg and Beastboy glanced at each other.

* * *

"You know, he has caused a lot of property damage when he's battling ghosts." Robin stated, only to have Jazz cross her arms.

"Yeah, like you guys don't cause any damage when you're fighting. It's the same thing. You just don't want to admit it." She growled.

Robin stopped and paused.

 _Well, everything she's said so far seems to add up._

 _but I still want to talk to the boy, make sure this all ads up._

"I know what you're thinking." Jazz said, breaking Robin out of his thoughts.

"You still don't think we're telling the truth. Wondering if and when to turn Danny in. But I'm begging you. You can't turn him over to the Guys in White. You don't know what they'll do to him!" She pleaded.

Robin stopped and gazed at her face. It was the first sign of emotion other than anger. She seemed...terrified, but not for herself, for her brother.

 _I'll have to ask Danny about who the Guys in White are and what they want._

Robin stood, glanced once more at Jazz, then left the room. He watched as the others exited their rooms as well and met up with him.

"Well...?" He asked as they stood in front of him. "Their stories all add up." Cyborg said, the others nodding to agree.

Robin furrowed his brow. "Did they ask you guys not to turn the boy over to something called The Guys In White?" He asked.

They nodded once again. "They seemed really scared when they talked about it." Raven said.

"So, you going in to talk to the boy?" Cyborg asked.

Robin nodded. "I think we should all go in to see what he says." He said, as the others followed him into the room.

* * *

Danny slowly raised his head as they entered the room. His eyes were dull and tired as he sighed.

"What do you want?" He asked quietly. Robin glanced to the other titans who lined up behind Robin as he took a seat.

"Look, we just want to help you..."

"Yeah, I got that last night." Danny smirked as he gazed at his bandages. "Look, none of us wanted to hurt you, but...would you have come any other way?" Robin asked. Danny lowered his gaze, knowing the boy was right.

"Okay, we talked to your friends..." Robin started, only to be cut off by Danny as he jumped and stood up as quickly as he could.

"Are they okay?" He asked frantically. The Titans gave each other quick glances at how worried the boy was about his friends. Robin placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, which caused him to jerk back. "They're okay. But listen, they explained a lot of things. Like about all of those alleged 'crimes' you've committed." He said.

Danny raised a brow at him. "Yeah, right? How do I know you aren't lying to me?" He asked.

"Well considering I know that you got those powers by accident, and those robberies were because of a ringmaster named Freakshow, and that assault on the mayor was because of a ghost named Walker."

Danny sighed and faced the group.

"So? You know about the past? That doesn't mean I have to trust you guys!" He growled. Robin gripped the table.

"Fine! We just want to know about a couple things. Like if you know this ghost?" He placed a picture down in front of Danny that made his eyes widen.

"So you do know him." Robin said as he observed the boy's change in demeanor. Danny sighed. "That's Plasmius. I've known him almost ever since I've had my powers. He wants me to join him, like an apprentice, but I know he's just another crazy fruitloop." Danny growled.

Robin gazed back towards the titans, each of them thinking the same thing.

 _Apprentice._

 _Just like my relationship with Slade._

 _And if this guy really is like Slade, then we can't let him get near Danny. Especially if he's working with Slade._

"Okay, but can you explain why it felt like he was dead and alive like you? If he's half ghost like you are, then that means he has a human persona and that's something we need to know, especially if he's as powerful and dangerous as you say he is." Raven said, walking closer to the table.

Danny lowered his gaze and shifted in his seat. Robin gazed at him. "Please, this is something we need to know."

"I can't tell you. He always promised he would expose my secret if I exposed his, but considering that's out of the question, I would give his name to you in a heartbeat, especially if it means THIS for him." He said, gesturing to the cuffs.

"But...I'm worried. If I expose him and you go after him, he might hurt my friends, or my family, just to get even." Danny explained. Robin nodded his head. "I understand. But if you tell us, we can take the precautions we need to protect you guys and your family." Danny tightly shut his eyes.

"Vlad Masters." Robin's eyes widened.

"Wait! Vlad Masters. THE Vlad Masters? Billionaire of the year, mayor of Amity Park? THAT Vlad Masters?" Cyborg asked.

Danny only nodded his head.

Robin growled. It had been said on the news that Vlad Masters had taken a leave of absence, probably to cause trouble here." Danny gazed at him. "Vlad's here? In Jump?!" He groaned and sat back down into the chair, resting his head in his hands. "Way to go, Fenton. You've put your friends in even more damage than you realized." Robin glanced at the team, who gave him confused looks in return.

Danny gazed back at the Titans with tired eyes. "Have to say, I'm surprised you guys didn't turn me in to the Guys In White or the Justice League, wanted to have more fun with us before you send us to our doom?" He sneered. Robin gazed at him confused. "Uh, well...we wanted to know who the Guys In White are."

Danny rubbed his eyes." You guys really don't know about them, huh? Well, you would have found out eventually. The GIW is a government organization dedicated to finding, hunting and exterminating ghosts...and half-ghosts. They'll stop at nothing to get to me. I've faced them tons of times and each time, they've gotten better. But they don't care who gets in their way. Collateral damage isn't a thing to them. They've put way more people in danger than I ever have. But people don't care because they're the government, bent on'protecting' then from 'filthy ghosts' like me." Danny spat as he described the organization.

Robin nodded along as Danny described the group, which was getting worse and worse in Robin's eyes. Each teen they had asked had described the group the same.

"So, what would they do if they got you?" Robin asked, afraid of the answer. Danny tensed and rubbed his hands, keeping his head down. "Probably have a field day.

Revenge on all the times I've humiliated them.

See how I'm half human and ghost in the most painful way possible,

Hurt my friends or send them to jail,

And probably cut me open and see what makes me tick." Danny said. Robin's eyes widened at the sound of the last thing Danny mentioned. He heard his team gasping behind him.

"Dude, they can't do that!" Beastboy exclaimed in horror.

"They can, and they will." Danny sighed. "The GIW don't see me as a human. They only see a ghost, an entity, something they can play and experiment on. They don't thing natural rights apply to me, becasue I'm not natural. I'm just a guinea pig to them, a freak that should be away in a lab with needles and saws and knives." He gripped the cuffs tightly as he described it, finally realizing what would soon happen. He shook as he realized he would be turned in to them soon.

"Please, I don't care what happens to me...okay, I care a little...but don't let my friends suffer with me. They aren't the freaks, it's not their problem, no matter what they say. They don't deserve to be lab rats. They deserve to live normal lives, or as normal as they can be in a ghost-infested town. Please, let them go. They haven't done anything wrong. They don't deserve it, they don't deserve it..." He trailed of as his fears got the best of him. Robin could only stare in pity at the scared kid.

Danny sighed and decided to accept it, seeing there was no way out of it. "I know there's no way out of it. You'll either turn me into the GIW or the Justice League, who'll in turn, give me over. So, might as well accept it. But can you do me a favor?" He asked as a small whimper escaped his lips. His voice faltered as he spoke.

"Can you go ahead and kill me before handing me over? It'll be more humane that way."


	15. Chapter 15: Decisions

**Chapter 15: Decisions**

 **Titans Tower**

Robin could only stare in shocked silence, mouth slightly ajar. The Titans around him could only do the same. Cyborg silently shook his head, Starfire placed a hand to her mouth and tightly shut her eyes, trying not to let out a cry. Even Raven was speechless.

Danny placed his head down into the folds of his arms that lay still on the surface of the cold table, and thought about his friends.

Would he ever see them again?

Were they okay?

What would happen to them?

His fears ate away at his stomach, making him want to hurl.

Robin grabbed the back of the chair and turned towards the team. Starfire ran out of the room, quickly followed by the others. Robin cast one last glance at the depressed teen, and followed his team out the door.

The Boy Wonder made a quick decision and opened the door to Jazz's room. He walked in and uncuffed her, much to her surprise. "What are.." She started, only for Robin to stop her. He led her towards the open door and guided her into Danny's room, where she promptly ran to his side, hugging him tightly. He then proceeded to release the other two and do the same, watching as they all had similar reactions.

He closed and locked the door and walked back over to his team, who gave him questioning looks. "Did you really want to leave him all alone?" He asked, knowing they were thinking the same thing he was. "Besides, now we can listen to what they have to say." He said as he pressed a button on the panel next to the door.

* * *

"I'm sorry all of this happened." Danny sighed as he fiddled with his cuffs.

"I never meant for you guys to get in so deep with this. I never wanted you guys to get hurt just because of my stupid mistake! I..I.." He trailed off as his voice started faltering. Sam placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Danny, we're okay. Nothing happened to us. We're still together. That's what really matters." He said, the others nodding their heads.

"Not for long." Danny whimpered. "The Titans are sure to call the GIW, after that….I don't think i'll EVER see you guys again." He whispered. Jazz gripped his hands tightly. "We aren't going to let them hurt you, Danny."

"THERE"S NOTHING YOU CAN DO!" Danny shouted, suddenly angry. "They're going to come, take me away and probably have a field day with me! Getting back at all the times we beat them! They will KILL me! And who knows what they'll do to you. You guys might end up in prison for the rest of your lives!" He shouted as tears streamed down his face. Sam slammed her hands down on the table and faced him.

"PRISON?! You might die, and you're worried about us going to PRISON?!" Tucker stood next to her. "She's right, dude. That's not what we're worried about here."

"We'd spend hundreds of years in prison, if it meant saving you from eternity to painful tests and experiments from the Guys in White." Jazz explained.

Danny lowered his head, his shaggy black hair hiding his eyes. "I don't think there's anything you CAN do.

The world is after us,

my parents are after us,

the Justice League is after us,

the US government is after us,

and the Titans HAVE us.

I'm sorry guys, but….this is over.

We lost." He sighed. His friends paused for a moment, then crowded around him and hugged him tightly. His body shook in fear at the thought of the impending future, but for a single moment, in his friends' embrace, everything seemed okay.

* * *

Robin sighed and pressed the button, encasing the room in silence once more. He turned to his team, who each gave him looks of pity.

"Dudes, we HAVE to do something, ANYTHING!" Beastboy yelled.

"I must agree. Nobody deserves to suffer as they have suffered." Starfire squeaked out between whimpers. Cyborg nodded his head. "These guys never were the villains, they were just scared kids on the run." Raven sighed. "They're just like us." Everyone stopped and turned to her, confused. She rolled her eyes and continued.

"I mean, they were just like us. That kid, Danny, was a hero in his town, just like us. But unlike us, people were afraid of him, because of what he was. And misunderstanding after misunderstanding led them into this situation. They ARE us. If people hated us like they hate him, we would be in a situation similar to his. The government would probably jump at an opportunity to take us down, just like him and his friends." She paused, letting her words sink in. "I know I'm probably the last person you expected to say this, but...I think we SHOULD help them, cause….he would have helped us."

Robin nodded and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder. "I think Raven's right. This government organization, Guys In White, don't seem like very reliable sources of information regarding those kids. They've been after Danny forever, so of course, they'll do whatever they can to get him in their clutches, even if that means sending out everyone to capture them, saying they're dangerous criminals, even though they're not." He stopped and walked over to the large window. The four kids sat quietly next to each other, heads down. "We have to help them, especially if that Plasmius guy is after him. If he's working with Slade, them getting Danny in their grasp is not something we want to happen."

"What about the Justice League? Should we contact them?" Cyborg asked. Robin thought for a moment, and shook his head. "No. They've been fed too many lies by the GIW. They'll turn Danny and his friends in before they have a chance to explain anything." Robin sighed. He knew Bruce might understand the boy's situation, but the rest of the League might not give him a chance. Starfire glanced towards the window. "They care too much about each other to be the criminal masterminds of evil." Starfire said sadly. The rest of the team nodded in agreement. Robin turned back. He took a deep breath, and reached for the keys.

Danny bolted upright when he heard the keys jingling in the lock. He gripped his friends tightly, knowing it would probably be the last time he would ever be able to be with them. Robin entered the room. Danny heard his voice shaking. "Did you ca…."

"We haven't called the Guys In White." He said, cutting of the boy. Danny stared at the boy in confusion and shock. He walked over to him and unlocked the cuffs from the table, still leaving them around his wrists though. "Follow me." He said. The teens glanced at each other for a moment, hesitation, debating whether to follow, or make a break for it, only to have Robin cut into their thoughts. "Don't try running. Those cuffs are still laced with anti-ghost energy. You can't use your powers." Robin said, not even turning around. The teens stared at him, then lowered their heads and followed, gripping each other's hands tightly, refusing to let go.

Danny glanced at the hallways they walked through in silence. They were dark in color, and every few steps led to another door. Many of them seemed to be unoccupied, but he noticed that a few of them had the names of certain titans as well as specific rooms commonly found in normal homes.

They finally arrived in what appeared to be a living room. To the right, a large kitchen and counter connected to the wall. To the left, a long line of seats, all facing a set of tables that seemed to be used could be seen. And in the middle of the open floor plan, a circular couch faced a wall solely made of windows. The light of the moon reflected of the water in the bay that surrounded the island.

Danny gulped when he noticed that Robin was leading them towards the couch, with the other four titans sitting on it, watching as they entered. They stood as Robin motioned for the teens to sit. They glanced at each other once more, then sat, still holding tightly onto their hands. robin faced them, each of the titans lined up next to him. "We've made a decision."

Danny squeezed Sam and Jazz's hands so hard, he was surprised they weren't protesting. "We went over what you had to say, about everything. We investigated all of the claims you made and they all checked out." Robin said curtly. "All those 'crimes' you committed have proven to be incorrect misunderstandings. His eyes then softened and he knelt down next to them. "Listen, we understand what you've been going through. We know about the GIW. You guys aren't the bad guys, they are." Danny stared at him, shock running through him.

"We get what happened." Cyborg said.

"Understand why everyone's after you." Beastboy sighed.

"Realize the truth about what is going on." Starfire smiled sadly.

Raven walked closer to them. "You're not the villains here. Just had a lot of bad luck." She said. Danny took a few deep breaths, trying to understand what the Titans were saying. "Are...are you saying...you aren't going..." Danny stuttered, only to have Robin place a hand on his shoulders. "We aren't going to turn you guys in." He said reassuringly. "Because there's nothing to arrest you for." Cyborg said firmly.

Danny heard Sam let out a breath of relief and Jazz softly started laughing. They started shaking as they then all started laughing, the four coming together in a hug, relief flooding throughout them that they weren't going to die or end up in jail.

Robin, along with the rest of the Titans smiled at the scene. The sight of the teens relishing in happiness and hope for the first time in weeks. Starfire suddenly rushed forward and faced them all excitedly. "Please, I have not asked others simultaneously and I already know most of these answers, but...

What are your names?

Where are you from?

How did you get here?

What are your favorite colors?

And would you like to be my friends?" She asked rapidly, with each question creeping closer and closer to the teens.

Danny glanced at his friends and they shrugged, crooked smiles on their faces. Jazz shook her head at their confusion and faced the girl. "Okay, well...I'm Jazz, That's my brother, Danny, and his two best friends, Tucker and Sam, but you probably already know our names." She said, and turned to Tucker. "Uhh...we're from Amity Park, but I'm originally from Florida." He said, and turned to Sam. "Well, as you can probably tell, I like black, but purple's good too. Jazz likes blue, Tucker likes red, and Danny likes green." They all turned to Danny, including the Titans. He looked over at his friends. They laughed softly and smiled. Danny turned to the eagerly waiting Titan. "Sure."

She squealed and rushed towards the four, wrapping her arms around them and lifted them all in the air. Danny gasped as he felt the air squeezed out of his body as the alien gave them the tightest hug he ever felt. She gently dropped them down to the floor. Robin stepped forward and held up a key. Danny looked down. He had almost forgotten the cuffs were still locked onto his wrists. Robin gently grabbed them and placed the key into the hole, letting the glowing metal fall to the floor.

Danny looked up and smiled slightly at Robin, who grabbed the cuffs off of the floor. Danny walked back and stood next to his friends, still feeling protective, even though he knew the Titans wouldn't try anything. He sighed and faced his friends, this change in demeanor not going unnoticed by the Titans. "So...what happens now? I mean, do we keep running? Even so, how long until another group captures us?" He raised a hand and rubbed his eyes. "I'm tired, guys. Tired of running, of keeping secrets, of hiding from everyone. I'm just...tired." Robin placed a hand on his shoulder and faced the other teens and the Titans. "You don't have to run anymore. Cause now...you're among friends."

The other titans stood and encircled the four teens.

"Friends you understand when people judge you before getting to know you." Cyborg said as he gazed at his electrical circuits.

"Friends who know what it feels like to be lost and confused." Starfire said with a sad smile, remembering when she came to earth.

"Friends that know what it feels like to be labeled a freak." Beastboy said, memories flooding back.

"Friends that know what it's like to be feared just because of what you are." Raven said, remembering when she overcame her father.

"Friends who know that being alone...isn't always the answer." Robin said, shaking Danny's shoulder gently. "Danny, listen. I know people will make the same mistakes we made, drinking in every word we're given, believing you're the bad guys, so...we're going to help you...any way we can." He said. Danny sighed. "What about the Justice League? I can't ask you guys to risk getting in trouble yourselves, especially with them..." Robin shook his head. "We can't go to them. They wouldn't understand. But I promise...we'll help you guys, anyway we can." The other Titans nodded firmly in agreement.

Danny couldn't do anything but laugh in relief, his friends doing the same. They grabbed the titans, much to their surprise, and engulfed them in a hug, a hug that even Starfire's famous bone-crunching one would have been jealous of. The Titans didn't complain though, they just sighed and gave it to them, knowing they couldn't be happier.

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

Slade stared at the video feed from one of the convenient stores in the downtown area, watching it over and over. Danny and his friends being overpowered by the Titans and taken away. He scowled at the monitor, as if it was its fault his plan was now set back.

He stood and walked along the panels on the floor, thinking of what to do now.

With luck, the Titans would turn the boy over to the authorities, who would in turn, give them to the Guys In White, and his plan would go back on track. Then, he could break the boy from the compounds of the facility, hopefully after he was good and broken, and he would follow his every command, too destroyed inside to argue.

Or if worse came to worse, he would just take the boy back to the facility, back to the GIW and let them do what they pleased, dissect him, destroy hi, whatever they wanted. Anything to stop him from interfering with his plans.

He smirked behind the mask. Plasmius was an idiot. He tried and tried, yet he still wasn't able to convince Danny to do anything. He remembered when he had had Robin under his control, it had been so easy, so simple. He couldn't understand what that blubbering idiot was having trouble with.

 _I would have had Danny as an apprentice the first battle we had, given the chance._ Slade thought with contempt.

He reached a black door, a door that went unnoticed by most, considering it blended in with the wall. He entered and watched as the light flickered on, dimly lighting the room. It was small, with grey stone walls, a brown table in the center being the only thing occupying space in it. Slade walked over to the table and picked up the only item on it, a black leather-bound book with a red, jewel encrusted lock attached to the side. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a glowing green key with a skull and red eyes on the end. He placed the key into the lock and watched as the bindings on the sides of the book screeched and fell away, melting into the actual book itself. He smiled darkly and opened it to a specific page he had marked off. On the page to the left was a single picture. A gleaming black crystal with swirls of crimson mist inside was illustrated. On the left was a detailed description and name of the artifact.

The thing that would give him everything he had ever wanted.

Power,

Control,

Domination,

Feared worship,

Eternal rule.

 _The Gem Of Zith_

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but my week has been pretty hectic and I really didn't want to leave you guys off with a cliffhanger. By the way, don't worry. Danny and co. aren't sitting on the sidelines for long. The Titans are going to have a pretty hard time getting them to stay out of the way of missions and just getting them to relax. But you'll have to stay tuned for the next chapter. I'm sure you have many questions you want answered like...**

 **What's going to happen to Danny and co.?**

 **What is that stupidly named artifact, The Gem Of Zith?**

 **Will we see Jack, Maddie, and Valarie again?**

 **Just wait and find out!**

 **P.S.- If we make it to 125 reviews, I'll CONSIDER creating a sequel.**

 **P.P.S.- If we make it to 275 reviews, I'll _REALLY_ consider creating a sequel**

 **Just some food or thought. ;)**


	16. Chapter 16: Ghouls, Ghosts and Titans

**Chapter 16: Ghouls, Ghosts and Titans**

 **Titans Tower**

 _Everything was on fire._

 _The buildings smoldered as they crumpled down to the ground, leaving nothing but burning ashes as they crushed the lives out of the unsuspecting people below._

 _The sky was black as soot and smoke filled it, blocking out the sun and it's light, leaving only darkness as it covered the city like a suffocating cloak, and bodies littered the ground, burnt and lifeless._

 _Danny could only stare in shock at the sight. He gazed at the area, at the place he once called home, where he learned to ride a bike, where he saw his first ghost, where he grew up. But he stopped and stared harder at the broken buildings and the abandoned streets._

 _This wasn't Amity Park._

 _It was Jump City._

 _Danny gasped as he frantically spun around, trying to locate the Titans. What he saw stopped him in his tracks._

 _The Titans lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies laying limply against the broken black ground. Laying next to them were his friends, in the same lifeless position. He struggled to take in air as he gazed at the lifeless bodies of his lifelong companions._

 _Gone._

 _Everything was gone._

 _He felt movement and spun around quickly, only to be hit in the gut with a blaster. He fell to the ground and saw that his hands and feet were now bound by glowing green energy. He gasped and looked up, watching as the Guys In White walked up to him, his parents in line next to them, smirks on their faces. Danny felt his lips curl up into a snarl as they came closer. "What have you done?!" He screamed as they stopped in front of him. "You destroyed EVERYTHING, just to get to me!" He snarled at them._

 _The emotionless agent bent down and grabbed Danny by the front of his shirt, lifting him up into the air so that their eyes met. "We didn't do this, Danny._

 _You did._

 _If you had just come willingly, none of this would have happened. Your friends wouldn't have given up their lives for you. They wouldn't be dead." He smirked. Danny clenched his fists. "SHUT UP! You don't know anything!" He threw the boy down to the ground._

 _He smiled darkly. "I know you'll lose everything if you keep running. Just wait. Soon you'll hear their screams as their flesh is melted off of their bones, as the earth swallows them up and the life is slowly squeezed out of them." He chuckled, and stepped back, letting the Fentons step forward and sneer at the broken body of their son. Danny felt his heart breaking._

 _"Why are you doing this?! I'm your son! I thought you would understand!" He screamed as tears streamed down his face. His mother only laughed. "You're not my son. My sweet baby boy died once that portal turned on, leaving a filthy ghost parading around inside him." They raised their blasters and pointed them at his face._

 _"How could we ever love an evil thing like you? Their insane laughter echoed off of the broken buildings, making Danny cringe._

 _"You're nothing but a freak._

 _A monster._

 _A ghost." She snarled at him. "And we hate ghosts!"_

 _She fired._

* * *

Danny bolt upright with a start, gasping for air as his eyes flew open. He whipped his head around, trying to understand where he was. A grey blanket was twisted around his legs. He sat on a soft couch, fading moonlight streaming in through the large windows that faced him.

Titans Tower.

His friends slept in different positions around the couch. Sam slept across from him, at the other end. Jazz and Tucker slept on pillows, propped up against the couch. He sighed and swung his legs around, the blanket falling limply to the ground. He stood and walked slowly over to the kitchen, filling a small glass with water, quickly gulping it down. He wiped the sweat from his head and took a seat at the counter that faced the kitchen, placing the empty glass quietly down in front of him, his fingers tracing the trails the dripping drops of condensation created.

The images from his nightmare flashed in his eyes. He shook his head, trying to clear his head from the horrifying images, but the voices still rung true in his ears.

 _They wouldn't be dead._

He took a shaky breath, trying to clear his mind, to no avail.

 _I know you'll lose everything if you keep running._

He tightly squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to force the thoughts back, trying to forget them, trying to convince himself that they weren't true, that they were just parts of a meaningless nightmare. But he couldn't. They still came back.

 _Nothing but a freak._

He gasped in shock as he heard the small fridge opened. He popped open his eyes, watching as Robin rummaged through its contents. He raised his head and flashed Danny a small smile. "Couldn't sleep, huh?" He asked, not looking up. Danny sighed. "Hope I didn't wake you."

Robin merely chuckled. "Nah, I'm always like this during the early morning hours." He pulled out a small bag and dropped it on the counter, going back to digging in the fridge. Danny scrunched his eyebrows in confusion and curiosity as he watched Robin pull out a few more things before turning to the items and pulling out a spoon and small bowl and two glasses. He picked up all of the items and placed them down on the counter in front of Danny.

He raised his head. "Nightmares?" He asked. Danny slowly nodded his head. Robin nodded his in conformation and looked back down at the ingredients. He placed a spoon into the small pouch and pulled it out again, now holding a large amount of white powder. He dumped it into the bowl and repeated it two more times. "Anything you want to talk about?" He asked, continuing to work.

Danny sighed. "Just another repeating nightmare. Been getting it ever since we started running." Robin nodded. "Only this time...you guys were in it."

This made Robin pause. He hesitated, then continued with what he was doing. "I meant what I said, you know. We're your friends now. And I don't make friends lightly." Robin said, flashing Danny a sly smile. He chuckled and watched as Robin poured some milk into the bowl. He placed the spoon into another container, pulling it back out when it was full of purple berries. He placed them into the bowl and began to stir.

"I guess I'm just worried, about them." Danny said, turning his head to look at his friends. "I feel bad for dragging them into this mess. This isn't their battle, so why should they have to suffer?" He sighed and pushed against his cheek with a fist as he placed an elbow on the counter. Robin placed the contents of the bowl into a rectangular box on the counter, pressing a button on the side, watching as the small machine spun the contents around and around. "Listen, Danny. I know what it's like to want to protect your friends from things. Things you think don't include them. Things that might hurt them if they get involved. But trust me..." He placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Pushing them away just makes things worse. Everything worked out...WHEN they helped me defeat the big bad guy."

He turned back towards the machine, waiting for it to finish. "In times like this, friends are your best chance at making it through."

He smiled as the machine flashed a small green light, signalling it was done. He removed the lid from the box and lifted it up, pouring the milky purple liquid into two glasses. He pushed one towards Danny and grabbed one for himself. Danny picked up the glass and looked at it questionably. "What is this?" He asked. "Just something I learned to make years ago when nightmares were something that would burden me. It relaxes you, gets you to perk up." He said, taking a sip from his own glass. Danny gave him one more questioning glance, then took a sip himself.

He was surprised by the taste. It was sweet and milky, with a hint of tanginess at the end as a last kick. He licked his lips and took another sip. Robin chuckled. "Been a while since I've met someone who needs this as much as I do." Danny laughed and took another sip, his nightmare forgotten.

* * *

Danny laughed as Robin wrapped up his tale of dealing with Batman's broodiness. "Sounds like a real piece of work." Danny said as Robin snorted, probably rolling his eyes behind his mask. "You have no idea. Trust me, I'm way better off without him. The Titans are where I belong." Danny smiled and turned as something caught his attention. Sam was stretching from her side of the couch, the others just starting to awaken. Danny hadn't realized him and Robin had been talking for so long.

She turned and smiled once she noticed Danny and the boy wonder talking together. She stood and walked over to them. "How long have you guys been up?" She asked, eyeing the multiple empty glasses that were strewn around the counter.

"A while." Danny said as the others stood and joined them.

"Man! I haven't slept that well in forever!" Tucker said, stretching once more. "Beats sleeping in that factory. It was cold in there." Jazz said, shivering slightly at the memory.

Just then, the doors at the front of the room slid open as Starfire walked in with a yawning Cyborg. Her eyes lit up when she saw them. "New friends! Have you slept soundly?" She asked cheerily. Danny chuckled and nodded. Starfire smiled and flew over to the kitchen as a sleepy Beast Boy entered the room, Raven floating behind him. "Wonderful. I shall now prepare the traditional Tamaranian meal of newfound friendships, Blipgorp!"

Robin and Cyborg shared a fearful look. "Uhh, maybe we should just make them a normal breakfast." Robin said, remembering the last of Starfire's dishes. Cyborg nodded. "Yeah, you guys probably haven't had a decent breakfast for a while, huh?" He asked. Danny shrugged. "We made it work." He said.

Tucker snorted. "Whatever, dude. So, what's for breakfast?" He asked, rubbing his hands in anticipation. "Just you guys wait! I'm making the Cyborg Special! Eggs, bacon, steak, ham, pancakes, waffles, and everything in between!" Tucker pretty much started drooling at the mention of all the food. "I haven't had some good meats in weeks!" Tucker cried. Cyborg smirked at him. "A fellow meat connoisseur, huh?" He patted Tucker on the back. "I think we're going to make great friends!"

Beastboy snorted. "Yeah, right! Like I'd ever let you make THAT! What they need if some tofu eggs!" He shouted. Sam's eyes lit up. "You're vegan?" She asked. Beastboy nodded. "You?" He asked. Sam smiled proudly. "Ultra-Recyclo Vegetarian." Beast boy gaped up at her. "I think I'm in love." He whispered as he faced Cyborg with a smug grin. "HA! Told you people eat tofu!" He smirked at him. Cyborg merely rolled his eyes. "Well, now I have backup!" He said, puling Tucker to stand in front of him, the Techno Geek smirking at Sam.

"So do I." Beast boy said as Sam stood next to him.

Danny groaned. It was hard enough just dealing with the two of them, now he had to deal with four? Robin sighed as well. "Why don't you guys just make separate meals? Ya know, like you do every day when you have this argument?" He grumbled.

"What is the point of arguing anyway when you both know the outcome?" Raven asked, annoyed. "Pride, Raven. It's all about pride." Beast boy said, elbowing her in the side. "Yeah, and we all know Beast boy could use all the pride he can get." Cyborg said, scruffing up Beastboy's hair, much to his dislike.

As the group entered the kitchen, Danny, Jazz, Robin, Starfire and Raven settled down at the table where they usually ate, Raven sipping her usual cup of herbal tea. "So, you were a superhero back in Amity?" She asked. Danny nodded. "Yeah. After I got my powers, I basically protected the entire town from ghosts. My friends would help, considering they were the only ones who knew my secret. I didn't know Jazz knew my secret until a couple months afterwards." He said.

Starfire turned to his sister. "Why did you not share your knowledge with him?" She asked. Jazz smiled. "It was his secret to tell. I wanted him to tell me when he was ready to tell me." He placed her arm around him. "But, I was still there, in the background, making sure our parents didn't blast him out of the sky."

Danny stiffened at the mention of their parents. Robin frowned, noticing this. "Have you guys heard anything from your parents?" He asked. Danny narrowed his eyes, not saying anything. Jazz curled her lip and spoke for him. "No, and frankly, I don't WANT to hear anything from them." Robin nodded, realizing it was a sore topic for the teens. Danny shook his head, clearing his mind from the thoughts.

"So, were ghosts the only thing you fought?" Raven asked. Danny snorted. "I wish. I was always being attacked by crazy ghost hunters, especially one. Her name's Valerie, but she prefers to be called The Red Huntress. Will stop at nothing to see me destroyed...blah, blah, blah. Crazy." He said. "Then there was that one time with the crazy ringmaster, but it's hard to remember all the details with that one." Danny said, trying to remember in specifics what had happened with Freakshow.

Robin nodded. "We've had a little trouble with ghosts recently. There were these two ghosts, one looked like an octopus and the other was some big wolf-like creature." Robin said, deciding not to mention Plasmius to the teen, realizing he already had enough to worry about. Danny chuckled. "I don't know about that wolf thing, but I remember the ecto-pus. It was one of the first ghosts I ever fought." He said, feelings of nostalgia bubbling up inside him. "Ya know..."Danny said, realizing something. "You guys are really lucky you don;t have to juggle school And a superhero career. My teachers really hated me, especially since I would periodically disappear in the middle of their lessons to go fight a ghost." He chuckled. "My grades were pretty much in the toilet. But you know, that's the price ya pay." He said, shrugging.

Robin nodded, but before they could say anything else. Piles of food were dropped onto the table. They took one look at the steaming hot plates of eggs, ham, steak, bacon, waffles, pancakes, tofu and whatever else you could think of for breakfast that sat in front of them, and dug in.

* * *

Danny quietly suppressed a burp as he sat on the couch in the living room. After the large breakfast, which was the best he had eaten in weeks, the teens had decided to relax in the large room.

Tucker was just awakening from a food coma as he laid sprawled out on the floor at the foot of the couch.

Sam was reading a book next to Raven, the two realizing they had a lot in common, including book taste.

Jazz was sitting cross-legged on the floor as Starfire braided her hair. The alien girl had quickly asked to braid the girl's hair, considering most of her teammates were boys and the one other girl on the team

1) had hair that was too short to braid, and

2) would probably just growl if Starfire tried to get near it. So, Jazz happily let the girl braid her hair, seeing as how she normally had to do it herself, considering Danny wasn't the best little sister.

And Danny sat quietly on the couch, taking in the peacefulness of the situation. It had been weeks since he was just able to take a deep breath and stare out at the calm blue sky. Robin sat next to him, quietly tinkering with a few of the tools from his utility belt. Beastboy and Cyborg were sitting on the other end of the couch, playing a video game that Danny quickly recognized once he saw it.

"You guys play doom?" He asked as he watched their characters move on the screen. Tucker's head immediately shot up at the mention of his favorite game. "Yeah, luckily we haven't seen this one annoying guy on here in weeks. We can never beat that guy." Cyborg grumbled as he continued to press an assortment of buttons on the controller. "What's his name?" He asked Beastboy. "Crazy? Cuckoo?" Beastboy shook at the names.

"Chaos?" Danny asked with a smile on his face, Tucker sat up and Sam put her book down. "That's it!" Beastboy said. "Man, I hate that guy! He's too good!" He said. "Don't you mean 'she'?" Sam said with a smirk. "No, I mean h..." Beastboy stopped and dropped the controller. Cyborg tared at the girl with an open mouth, Beastboy dong the same. Robin laughed and Starfire giggled. Raven merely raised her eyebrows and broke her gaze from her book. "No Way! YOU"RE CHAOS?!" Cyborg yelled. Sam smiled. "The one and only." They instantly started drooping. "Okay, scratch out what I said this morning. I'm DEFINITELY in love!" Beastboy screamed as he ran over to Sam. "You've got to tell us your secrets!" He said, grovelling at her feet.

Cyborg turned to the two boys, who were rolling on the floor in laughter. "So, what? Do you guys have any earth-shattering secrets about this game too?" He asked. Tucker sat up. "I don't. But he does." He said, pointing a thumb at Danny. Beastboy and Cyborg perked up at this. "Well? What is it. What can you do?" Beastboy asked. Danny smirked. "This." He said as he transformed into Phantom, much to the Titans' surprise. He turned intangible and flew at the monitor, phasing into it. Beastboy and Cyborg looked around. "Okay...so now what?" Cyborg asked. They heard the tapping of glass and turned back to the monitor. They saw a new player had entered the game. He had white hair and his uniform was all black, except for the boots and gloves, and he looked exactly like Danny. "Now, you freak out." He grinned

Cyborg and Beastboy dropped their controllers. "Unbelievable." They breathed.

"Cool." Robin said, now fully engaged.

"Most amusing!" Starfire gleamed.

Raven's eyes widened slightly, the biggest sign of emotion she had shown all day.

Danny smirked at them. "So, we gonna play or what?"

* * *

Danny laughed as Sam and Tucker crushed Cyborg and Beastboy's players. Sam twirled the controller around her finger, and Tucker just leaned against the couch, a smirk on his face. Cyborg and Beastboy just sat there, frowns on their faces.

"Man, I thought you guys couldn't get more embarrassed. Beaten by all three of them." Robin smirked at them.

"Most amusing!" Starfire said as she finished up with Jazz's hair. Before Jazz had put her input around an hour ago, Starfire had been turning her hair into a disaster area. But after a few hints and points from Jazz, the alien finally understood. Now, Jazz's hair was in a side braid, with a few of Starfire's extra touches, including a few Tameranian flowers at the tip of the braid as well as the top.

Cyborg merely grumbled something that was too quiet to hear, and Beastboy just folded his arms and muttered. "They were just lucky."

But before they could say anything else, sirens started flickering and the screen started flashing red. Danny yelped in surprise, and his friends nearly jumped out of their seats. Robin ran over to the computer and typed in a few commands. "Titans, trouble! Looks like The H.I.V.E. are at it again." They started running out the door, but stopped when they noticed Danny and co. gazing a them, about to join them. Robin stopped them. "Whoa, whoa. You guys stay here." He said." Danny widened his eyes. "What?! But we can help you guys." He said, the others nodding behind him. Robin shook his head. "No way. It's too dangerous. Besides, you can't exactly fly around looking like yourselves, remember, you ARE wanted across the nation." He said as he turned and ran out of the room. The other Titans just looked at them and shrugged sympathetically. "We'll be back soon." Cyborg said as they followed their leader out the door.

Danny sighed and turned away. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. He turned to his friends, a sly smile on his face. "What?" Sam asked. "They said we couldn't help them." Danny chuckled. "Yeah, but they didn't say anything about The Forgotten Faces." The others stared at him for a moment longer, then narrowed their eyes and gave him the same smile. Danny narrowed his eyes and stared at the window that overlooked the city, small explosions, signalling the fight had begun, could be seen.

"Let's go!"


	17. Chapter 17: One Of Us

**Chapter 17: One Of Us**

 **Downtown Jump City**

Robin yelled out as he was blasted across the road. Jinx glared down at him with a smirk on her face. Raven battled against Gizmo, along with Cyborg, and Starfire and Beastboy were fighting against Mammoth and Billy Numerous.

Robin stood and twirled his staff. Jinx narrowed her eyes and charged him, her hands extended before her, glowing with energy. She blasted the ground under his feet. Robin jumped and flipped over the girl's head slamming his staff down on her back, sending her sliding across the ground. She turned, quicker than Robin expected, and blasted him in the shoulder, making him drop the staff. She growled and stood once more, her eyes glowing the same shade of pink as her hands.

Robin reached into his belt and pulled out three bird-a-rangs. He narrowed his eyes, and threw.

Jinx raised her hands as her magic encased the three projectiles. She threw Robin a sly smile. His eyes widened as he realized what she was planning. The projectiles twisted in mid-air and charged for him. He twisted and dodged, doing a flip off of one of the nearby buildings to avoid the objects. He reached for his belt and rubbed his fingers against a pair of smooth silver balls. He pulled them out and threw them on the ground, covering the area in smoke.

Jinx twisted her head, trying to find the boy. He used her magic and cleared the smoke from the area, only to find it empty. She gazed around, confused, but gasped ans fell to the floor as she felt a sharp pain as the base of her spine. She looked up ans saw Robin smirking at her, staff in hand, the tip now creating many sparks as the tree prongs at the end danced with electricity.

She growled and twisted her legs around, knocking Robin's feet out from under him. He fell to the pavement and felt energy swirling around his wrists. He looked over and saw that Jinx's magic was keeping them rooted to the ground. She glared at him as she walked over. Robin waited until she was close enough to touch, and thrust his body upwards, kicking his legs up into the air, driving them into her gut. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and she was thrown backwards.

The magic around her hands dissipated as he ran at the girl, staff in hand.

* * *

Gizmo sneered as his robot blinded Raven with a flash of light, sending her crashing to the ground. His eyes widened as he narrowly dodged a punch from Cyborg, the metallic teen's fist creating a small crater where the baby-faced villain once stood.

He pressed a button on the controller in his hands and felt as the robot strapped to his back charge and vibrate. He smirked at the teen as his eyes widened, for Gizmo's robot suddenly raised a large blaster, aiming it straight at Cyborg.

The teen narrowed his eyes and took a defensive stance, Raven floating up next to him, her hands glowing brightly.

Gizmo fired. Raven raised her glowing hands, creating a black shield that protected her and her fellow teammate from harm as the blast hit it. She dropped it as Cyborg ran forward. She created a platform of magic as he jumped onto it. It raised up into the air and flew quickly towards the villain, Cyborg charging up a sonic blast as it did so. He fired. The blast hitting one of the mechanical legs of the robot, causing Gizmo to fall to the ground. He glared at the two titans as the robot then sprouted another leg to replace the lost one.

"Crud" Cyborg growled as he charged up his blaster again.

* * *

Starfire gasped as Billy Numerous started to split himself into twenty different versions of himself. He then proceeded to mock her as he ran around her in a large circle. Her eyes glowed as she charged up her starbolts, and let out a large blast of energy, knocking all the _Billys_ off of their feet. "Well you're no fun." He sneered as he started to split himself up once more. He charged the girl, grabbing one of her legs as she tried to fly higher into the air. They then started to pile up on top of her, their numbers growing and growing with every passing second.

Suddenly, the mountain of _Billys_ started to shake as Starfire raised the large pile up over her head, the weight of all of them making her arms shake. She threw them all into the air and fired a barrage of starbolts at them. When he came back down again, he had reverted back into one Billy as he rubbed his now sore head.

Beastboy stood opposite Mammoth, glaring at the extremely large male. The villain charged. Beastboy simply transformed into a monkey and hopped over his back, latching onto the boy's neck, squeezing tightly.

Mammoth roared as he tried to twist his arms back and reach the animal attached to him. Beastboy transformed into a tiger and proceeded to scratch and bite the large boy. He had had enough. He ran to a nearby building and rammed his back into it.

When he pulled away, he saw a dazed and confused Beastboy clutching him head, some of the debris from the building falling onto one of his legs. He groaned as he tried to pull his leg away, to no avail. He looked at Mammoth with fearful eyes, giving the boy a nervous chuckle. Mammoth roared at him as he charged.

"Beastboy!" Robin yelled as he saw Mammoth charging the trapped changeling, the other Titans doing the same. But before Mammoth could even lay a hand on the kid, he was hit in the chest with a green blast, sending him hurtling across the area, hitting the building opposite of them, creating a large hole as he lay there. The Titans, and the remaining H.I.V.E. villains glanced around, trying to figure out where the blast had come from. "Uhh, Star. Was that you?" Cyborg asked. "It was not." Starfire said, equally confused as the rest of them, until a voice piped up. "No, it was me." He said as he jumped down, three others jumping down along with them. The one that had spoken looked like Arsenic, with the black and silver mask, but now, instead of the dark, raven black hair, it was snowy white, and the dark grey shirt he wore before under the leather jacket was now ecto-green. Behind him stood Sam, Tucker and Jazz, all wearing their grey shirts and jackets, along with their specific masks. "Crud! It's those scruff-buffers again!" Gizmo growled.

Danny smirked at the open-mouthed Titans and fired a blast behind Robin, much to his surprise. He turned behind him, and saw Jinx groaning against a wall, ectoplasmic goo sticking her there as well as covering her hands, rendering her powers useless.

Robin stared back at the four newcomers. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked as the two villains started to get back on their feet. "Thought you guys could use a little help." Danny said as he used his strength to move and shift the rocks off of Beastboy's now broken leg. He lifted the boy and handed him to the others, helping him avoid standing on his injured leg. "Get him somewhere safe, then come back and help." He ordered.

The girls nodded and helped the boy get somewhere safe. Danny and Tucker, each donning their signature masks, turned and faced the villains. Tucker gripped the glowing green whip at his side. Danny charged up his hands up with green energy as the rest of the Titans stood beside the, each in defensive stances. Robin glanced over at Danny, who winked at him. Robin shook his head, but inwardly, he was grinning back.

"Titans, GO!"

Danny flew forward, faster than anyone, other than Tucker, expected him to. The Ghost Boy rammed into Mammoth, knocking him flat on his back as he fired a blast at the boy, just as Robin ran next to him. He grabbed the boy's arm and flew up into the air. He twisted in the air and let go, sending the boy shooting towards the villain. Robin hit Mammoth in the face as he landed, Danny firing a ray of ice at the boy's legs, causing him to lose his balance and fall face-first into the pavement. Danny then proceeded to freeze Mammoth's hands to the pavement as well, leaving the boy laying face-first on the ground, and even with his strength, he couldn't break the layer of ice that Danny had used.

Tucker cracked the whip and charged Billy, along with Starfire once again. She fired a ray at the boy as Tucker wrapped the whip around him. He tried multiplying, but Tucker simply pressed a small red button that sat on the end of the handle of the whip, causing the device to charge up with electricity, shocking the boy as he tried to create copies of himself. Starfire grabbed the boy and flew him up into the air, Tucker yanking on the end of the whip, sending the boy shooting to the ground, creating a small boom as he crashed. Once the smoke cleared, Billy lay unconscious, still tied up in the whip. Tucker ans Star high fived as they stared at the boy.

Cyborg faced Gizmo with a glare, Raven floating above him. She flew towards him, avoiding the blasts that he shot at her. As she got closer, one of the blasts hit her in the shoulder. She gasped as the blast knocked her backwards as she skidded along the ground. Cyborg charged up his blaster and hired at Gizmo, once again hitting one of the legs of his robot. "Crud!" Gizmo cried out as he fell to the ground, he fired one blast from the robot. It hit Cyborg in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Gizmo quickly scurried out of the broken robot and tried to run, only to be hit with a green blast in the chest, sending him crashing back into the broken robot. Cyborg and Raven turned their heads, seeing Jazz and Sam standing back back, their blasters smoking. They smiled at the two titans who walked over to them. "Nice shot!" Cyborg cheered as the other Titans started towards them, Beastboy limping up as well with the help of Starfire.

Robin folded his arms as Danny and co. stood across from him, the other titans around them. "I thought I told you guys to stay in the tower." He said. Danny smirked. "No. You said people would notice us, which is what the masks are for, and that it was too dangerous, which I mean, come on! Dangerous? Is that even a factor for us anymore?" He smirked. Robin sighed. "Well, I'm sure glad you guys came!" Beastboy smiled. "You dudes totally saved my life." He turned into a cat. "All nine of them!" Everyone groaned at him. "What?! That was funny!" He said. Robin smirked, he turned to the group as he noticed the police sirens getting closer, notifying him the officials would come take the criminals away. "Come on. Let's go home." He turned to Danny and co.

"All of us."

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

 ** _Two weeks later_**

Danny watched as Cyborg ran through the obstacle course, crossing the finish line with a time of 1:24.

The robot smirked, seeing as it was the best time so far out of all of them. Danny smiled.

They had been living with the Titans for more than two weeks now, and they already felt like part of the team, even if they weren't. Robin had reluctantly let them fight alongside them when villains would show their faces, and even _he_ had to admit, having Danny and his friends assist in battles was a big help. And they fit in just fine. Whenever they weren't fighting, they were just hanging around like a regular family.

Raven finally found someone she could relate to with Sam, whether it was their love of reading the dark arts, or just their similar fashion choices, but whatever it was, Robin had never seen the girl so happy. She would smile two, sometimes three times a day. It was incredible!

Starfire got along with Jazz. The alien finally having found someone to "share some girl/girl bonding" which she normally never got to do.

Tucker got along with Cyborg and Beastboy, sharing techno-genius with the robot as well as a strong passion for meat, and video game skills for him AND Beastboy, the group got along perfectly, except for when lunchtime rolled around.

And Danny hung out with all of them, but Robin was normally who he spent most of his time with, sharing combat secrets, as well as similar interests. Although, Raven and Robin were the two he could share the most with, you know, besides his original friends, who he still shared everything with.

When they weren't hanging out, or fighting bad guys, they were training. Robin had installed courses that also adapted to Danny's skills, and the ghost boy's friends would normally train with Robin, enhancing their skills as well as their uses with their ecto-weapons, and now, after two weeks with training with Robin, they were even more deadly with their weapons.

Cyborg glanced at Danny, a smirk on his face. "Beat that, Casper." He sneered. Danny cracked his knuckles. "Get ready, Tin Can." He said as he floated to the starting line, the sun shining on the metal of the mechanics. Robin grinned and pressed a green button, the machines turning a glowing green. "Ready...GO!" He yelled.

Danny ran forward, seeing as how this course was a no-flying one. He dodged a swinging block as it surged towards him. He jumped over another one that appeared at his feet. He placed a hand on one of the spinning blocks, propelling himself forwards. He slid under one of the low laying bars and jumped back onto his feet, jumping into the air, grabbing one of the bars overhead and swinging himself forward, landing on his feet as he ducked and rolled along the ground, avoiding blasts from the lasers that popped out of the cannons along the side of the course.

He then got an idea and smirked. He ran over to one of the shooting pillars and jumped onto the top, landing on top of the blaster. The ones around it started shooting at him, which meant, they were shooting at the blaster he was on. He then jumped from blaster to blaster, avoiding the obstacles below, while getting rid of the blasters on top, which were the main thing that would slow people down.

"HEY! He can't do that!" Cyborg yelled.

Robin grinned. "Yeah, he can. Anybody can." He said.

"But nobody's been smart enough to figure it out." Raven said.

Robin smiled. He had designed the course to slow you down at that part, the only way to speed through it was to do the same thing Danny was doing. Finally, someone had figured it out. Robin folded his arms as he watched with a smirk as the boy breezed through the rest of the course with a time of 0:58, a new record. The Titans beside him stood with their mouths open, except Cyborg, who was grumbling something under his breath. The others ran over to congratulate Danny as he laughed at the frown Cyborg had on his face.

* * *

After training, the group decided to stay in and watch some movies. "So, what are we watching, guys? " Robin asked.

"Action"

"Comedy"

"Horror"

"The Romance"

"Adventure"

"Drama"

"Sci-Fi"

Robin groaned, realizing it would be a long night. Suddenly, the lights started flashing overhead and the screen switched to a map of Jump City, a blinking dot shown on the screen. Robin ran over and typed a few things into the screen. "Cinderblock is trashing the city. Titans, GO!" He yelled as everybody jumped into action.

* * *

 **Downtown Jump City**

Cinderblock slammed his fists into the road, sending cracks running all through it, his hands creating craters in the pavement. "You know, Cinderblock. That's destruction of property." Robin growled as the Titans arrived on the scene.

"And something tells me you don't have that kind of cash." Danny sneered. The Titans all stood in defensive stances, while the Faces gripped their weapons tightly. Cinderblock roared and charged. Robin narrowed his eyes and jumped to the side as Cinderblock passed, throwing explosives down on the ground where he once stood. As Cinderblock ran through the explosives, they blew out from under him. He roared out in surprise as he was thrown up into the air. Danny flew up above him and slammed his ecto-charged fists down into the monsters chest, sending him crashing to the ground with a thud.

The group circled around the smoking crater, waiting to see what the rock would do next.

It surprised them, to say the least.

He jumped out of the hole, faster than something his size should have, and swung his fists in a circular motion, hitting his targets as they were thrown back. Cyborg growled as he charged up his cannon. "So you want to play rough, huh?" He snarled as he fired a strong blast at the rock's chest. It hit it's target, pushing the boulder back. He roared and stomped the ground loudly, sending a shock-wave that shook the team.

Starfire flew up into the air, Danny at her side. They nodded at each other, sending a silent signal to each other. He locked arms with the Tameranian as the two of them charged up their specific blasts. Neon green mixed together as the two spun in the air, sending a swirl of their energy blasting towards the creature, exactly as they had practiced. It hit him square in the chest, knocking him down and sending him shooting across the ground.

He growled and grabbed the pavement, ripping it up out of the ground. He gripped the long slab and whipped it down, sending a wave rolling down the road, sending all the Titans that had been on the ground flipping into the air. Starfire, Danny, Raven and Beastboy grabbed all the non-flyers and brought them gently towards the ground.

Cinderblock then ran to one of the nearby buildings. much to the Titans' surprise, raised his fist, and punched the wall **(the poor buildings in Jump City are never going to survive to the end of the story)** , sending about a dozen large boulders crashing to the ground in front of him. He reached down and picked up two, propping them up onto his shoulders. He stared at the Titans and growled as he hurled the stones towards them, picking up more and more, hurling them at teens.

"Scatter!" Robin yelled as the boulders hurtled towards them. Cyborg blasted at the rocks as they came close, shattering them into small pebbles. Starfire shot at the boulders with her eye beams, Raven encased them with her magic, and Danny turned them into ice, punching them into small ice crystals that were harmless to the touch. Robin threw an explosive at Cinderblock, destroying the remaining supply of boulders. The rock monster roared in fury and charged. Cyborg rammed into him, both pushing against each other, until Cinderblock finally grabbed the teen's arms and spun him around, throwing him down to the ground across the street.

Starfire growled and fired out a barrage of starbolts at the monster as she flew down with each blow. Suddenly, the monster grabbed her arm just as she was about to fire another shot, and threw the girl into Beastboy and Raven knocking the two down.

Robin jumped up, and slammed his staff down on the monster's head, only to have the creature swat him out of the air. Sam shot at the monster's legs, and Tucker wrapped his whip around the creature's body. Jazz got down on one knee, holding out her staff horizontally as Danny jumped up, placing one foot on the girl's staff. She grunted as she propelled the boy up. Danny charged up his hand, and punched the rock monster straight in the face, sending the creature crashing to the ground.

Danny landed beside Robin, helping the teen get back onto his feet, the other Titans just starting to come out of their dazes. The creature roared as he leapt up, faster than anybody could register and charged the two boys. Danny gasped as the monster got closer. He reached down at a still dazed Robin, and threw him out of the way as the creature rammed into the Ghost boy, hard, sending him crashing into the building Cinderblock had punched, the loose rocks coming loose, landing on top of the boy.

"Danny!" The group of teens yelled as they watched the stones crush the boy, forgetting all about his cover name. Cyborg grit his teeth and blasted the monster harder with a sonic blast, as Starfire shot at it with her eye beams, Beastboy crashed into the creature as a gorilla and Raven threw multiple cars at the monster as Robin ran over with Sam, Tucker and Jazz over to the pile of stones over by the building. "Danny?" Robin called as he moved the stones that rested on the top of the pile. Suddenly, the whole pile shifted as Danny popped his head out, rubbing it with narrowed eyes. "Okay, little tip, don't let the rock monster hit you." He groaned. Robin sighed in relief and helped pull the boy out of the pile. Danny shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his head. "Okay, someone point me to the monster, cause right now, I'm seeing like twenty of them." He said as he squinted his eyes, trying to focus the blurry images.

Cinderblock roared in fury as the Titans continued to blast him. Suddenly, a bright flash of green caught their attention, even the monster's. They all turned to see Danny zoom high into the air, then dive straight down, directly towards the monster, glowing a bright green. Even the monster couldn't deflect the attack. As Danny made contact, a loud _boom_ echoed throughout the streets. Once the smoke cleared, Cinderblock could be seen in a deep crater, his chest cracked in many places, lying unconscious. Danny floated out of the crater, dusting off his gloves, the Titans crowded around him with impressed faces.

"What?"

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

Robin walked down the hall, Danny, Sam, Tucker and Jazz all following him with confused faces. "Uh, Robin? Where are we going exactly?" Danny asked as they walked. Robin cracked a small smile. "You'll see." He said as they continued walking. "You guys have been hear for more than two weeks and you've already proven multiple times you guys have what it takes." He said as they stopping in front of a grey door. "Here we are." He said. The teens looked at each other, giving each other the same bewildered looks. "Okay...where are we, exactly?" Danny asked. Robin broke out into a full-blown smile.

"Your room." He pressed his hand against the panel next to the door. It slid open, revealing the rest of the Titans. "SURPRISE!" Hey screamed. The teens jumped, they blinked in shock for a few moments, before Robin pushed them into the room. It was a very large room. The bottom half of the walls were painted black, while the top half was painted white, the two colors separated by a thick green line that wrapped around the whole room. Green swirls also twisted in intricate patterns all along the walls, except for one wall, which seemed to be all windows overlooking the bay. A round bed sat against one of the walls next to the window wall. A small white pillow and white blanket were the only contrast to the black bed, excluding the green underside of the covers. A small ghost emblem was sewn on one of the white pillows on the bed. The ceiling was painted as a night sky, covered in constellations that seemed to glow brightly with a pale white glow (courtesy of Raven's magic). A grey dresser sat against the wall parallel to the bed, and right above the bed, a picture already hung on a frame. It was a picture of all the Titans together, Jazz, Sam and Tucker in front of them, bending slightly, hands on their knees, Danny laying on the ground in front of them, big smiles plastered on each of their faces.

Danny could only gape at the room in wonder, speechless. Tucker broke him out of his daze. "Okay...nice room...but..." He said, only to have Robin cut him off. "I know...that's why your rooms are adjacent to his." He said. The other teens stared at him then ran out of the room to the doors that sat next to the room. Their gasps could be heard from the room next door. The other Titans laughed. Once they came back from inspecting their rooms, Robin faced them, the other Titans behind him. "We thought you guys might be tired of sleeping on the couch." He said with a chuckle. "Like I said, you guys have proven yourself battle after battle that you're excellent teammates, risking your own lives just to help us." He glanced back at his team. "We discussed this, and there was no question. We all agreed." He pulled something out of his utility belt and held it out.

It was four communicators, all with a black T on them.

"We want you guys to be Titans, all of you."

They stared at the devices in his hands, then stared at each other. Danny stepped forward. "You guys have opened everything for us. Gave us a home, protected us, helped us, made a new family for us." He stared back at his friends. Each gave him the same look. Danny smiled and gave a small nod.

"When do we start?"

Starfire flew up and embraced them all in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, I am so happy. Now I have new TEAMMATES!" She squealed in delight. Cyborg _whooped_ and Beastboy bounced around the room like an excited puppy. Even Raven seemed to perk up, ever so slightly. Robin smiled. "Awww YEAH!" Cyborg yelled. "TIME TO CELEBRATE!"

"But first..." Robin said as he held up a pink wig.

"You guys have to be initiated." Raven grinned as she held up a rubber chicken and Cyborg shook a pink tutu.

Danny gulped, and he was almost positive he heard his friends do the exact same thing.

* * *

 **Ugg! So many fight scenes!  
** **They're harder to write than it seems, but like an idiot, I keep putting them in, cause what's a good superhero fanfic without some good fights?!  
** **Anyway...  
The next chapter might be delayed, but only a little. I have two busy weekends coming up, so I won't be able to work on it. Actually, come to think of it, I won;t even be home this weekend. Crap! Oh, well. Maybe I can sneak my laptop away with me. Hehehe... :)**

 **So, hope you enjoyed the chapter. I have been waiting for this chapter for a while. I couldn't wait to make them Titans.**

 **P.S.-Robin is probably so happy now that he has three more people on the team without powers. HA! Humans got to stick together!**


	18. Chapter 18: Titan Phantoms

**Chapter 18: Titan Phantoms**

 ** _one month later_**

Danny slowly cracked open his eyes, sunlight streaming in through the large window. He sighed and decided to get up. Pulling the covers away, he swung his legs out over the bed and faced the window wall. He smiled at the scene, a scene he never got tired waking up to.

The water in the bay glistened as the early morning light. The city seemed to sparkle as the light reflected shines and glints off the buildings. Birds that perched on the rocks at the base of the tower launched off, flying high into the air.

Danny took a deep breath and smiled. Life had been good ever since they had become official Titans. They felt like a whole new family now. Like before, Cyborg and Tucker got along even more, especially now that they were trying to create a replica of the Fenton Ghost Portal, much to Danny's appreciation. Whenever he would walk down to the vacant room, now being turned into a new lab, Danny would help Cyborg with the designs that he remembered from the blueprints his parents had shown him. Tucker and the robot were right at home, creating the machine, even when Beastboy would venture into the room. The changeling would try to help, but just ended up making a mess, tripping over wires, or just delay the two even more. He would annoy them so much that they finally had had enough and put a permanent **Beastboy Ban** on the room, at least until the portal was finished. And even when it was, Danny was pretty sure the two would keep him on a short leash when it came to their _baby_ , which is what they now called the portal.

But those two weren't the only ones getting along. Sam and Raven still hung out on a daily basis. As far as Danny knew, Sam was the ONLY person allowed in Raven's room, other than the sorceress herself. They would meditate on the roof together whenever the team would get too hectic for the two, which was fairly often, Danny realized. They would travel to Raven's bookstore, full of all the literature Sam could want. The goth girl also got along with Beastboy, much to Raven's surprise, considering the girl was so much like her. Nevertheless, Sam would share secrets on how to season and cook tofu so that it made even Cyborg and Tucker want to try some, no matter what they said, as well as her skills at Doom, mentoring the changeling in her ways with the game.

Jazz and Starfire also acted like best friends, considering both girls were the most peppy and optimistic of their specific groups. Jazz would talk to Starfire about all the thins she would have talked about to Danny, had he been a girl, which is what his parents had expected him to be. And Starfire would talk to Jazz about all the things she couldn't talk about to Raven, since Raven was...well...Raven. The two got along well, sharing secrets they normally wouldn't tell the others, Starfire getting advice on things she clearly didn't understand but was too embarrassed to ask any of the others. And every once in a while, when Jazz needed to match wits with someone, exercise her mind, she would have long conversations with Robin, who normally didn't have anyone to talk to about serious, more boring things, other than Raven, who was normally busy.

And Danny...well...it was true that he got along with all of the Titans, but if he had to pick, he would definitely talk to Robin. The Boy Wonder and the Ghost Boy were very similar in their interests, and were able to hold conversations for hours at a time, if not checked. Normally, Robin could only do those kinds of talks with Starfire, and it was mostly when she had first came to Earth and needed a lot of time understanding Earthly ways. Even Robin had to admit, he had never know it could be so easy to talk to someone, but when Danny and him would have their early morning talks, they would chat until the sun was high overhead.

The four had also gotten new uniforms, considering their civilian clothing probably wasn't Titans material. Sam wore a violet crop top that exposed part of her stomach as well as a black leather jacket on top and black tights with purple steel toed boots with black lacing. Her purple shirt also had a black _S_ insignia on it. Tucker now wore a red leather jacket with a hood that he normally kept up in battle, his signature red beret still on underneath, which was plainly seen when the hood was down, which was most of the time. He wore a long dark yellow shirt on underneath the jacket along with black pants and red boots with yellow trim. Jazz wore a sleeveless black v-neck jumpsuit with a blue sash tied lazily to the side of her waist as well as blue lace wrapped around her thighs and black gloved arms. Danny's outfit hadn't changed much from the black pants, black boots and leather jacket over-top the green shirt underneath, besides the fact that his boots now turned a shade of green at the top. They still fought with their masks, fearing what would happen if people found out who they were, but the other Titans still worked on coming up with a plan on getting the GIW and the Justice League off of their backs. It was slow going, but the Titans weren't giving up until their friends were free from the government agency. Danny still worried though. They hadn't heard from the GIW in about a month. What were they up to? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

Danny stood and walked over to the dresser, changing into his clothing and fixing his hair, making at least presentable. Nothing had really changed over the weeks. The only thing was that now, they didn't have to sleep in the living room.

Now, they were Titans. The thought made Danny smile.

He opened the door and walked into the hallway, only to be bowled over by a green blur. Danny shook his head and glanced over to his side, only to see a scared Beast boy jump back onto his feet. "Sorry, Danny!" He called as he started running down the hall once more. Danny stared at the boy in confusion, only to have that confusion clear when he saw an angry Cyborg following close behind. "Get back here, you little grass stain!" He yelled. Danny sighed.

They're starting early.

He picked himself up off of the floor and walked into the main room. Robin, Raven, Jazz and Sam were talking quietly at the table, breakfast around them, while Tucker tinkered with a machine part, probably for the portal, while Star watched, interested. Robin raised his head and held up a plate. "Hey, Danny." He said as the boy took the plate and grabbed a seat next to Sam. "Uhh…" He started, only to be cut of by Raven. "Beast boy shoved some tofu into Cyborg's mouth." She said, rolling her eyes in the process. Danny chuckled, knowing the two were always butting heads about their conflicting diets. The boy popped a piece of toast onto his mouth, listening in to the conversations around the table, inputting his opinions in certain matters. He was just about to tell a story to the interested Titans about the more annoying ghosts he usually fought (the list mostly full of encounters with The Box Ghost), when suddenly…

CRASH!

They turned their heads, watching as Beastboy ran into the room, panting hard, Cyborg following close behind, various metal tools in his arms as he hurled them at the small Titan. Beast boy jumped over the couch and made a u-turn, heading for the table, where the other, dumbstruck Titans sat. He grabbed the leftover tofu that still sat on his plate and chucked it in Cyborg's direction. It hit the robot in the face, some of it getting into his open mouth. He stopped and dropped the tools onto the ground, yelling as the taste reached his taste-buds. He tried wiping away the remaining tofu off of his tongue, but it was no use. He could still taste it. He turned to face a laughing Beast boy, the changeling clutching his stomach as he doubled over in laughter. The robot's face turned a bright crimson as he gave a war cry and charged the boy. Beastboy let out a high-pitched scream as he darted out of the room, once more, followed by a raging Cyborg. Danny cracked a smile as Robin sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Gonna be a long day."

* * *

Danny stared at the nearly complete portal, Cyborg and Tucker going over the list of the last few items they needed to finish. The robot had calmed down enough, after dunking Beastboy's head in motor oil, much to the others amusement. So, to escape from the whining boy, Cyborg and Tucker had decided to try and finish up on their project, asking for help on some of the smaller details from Danny. The boy walked back and forth, staring intently at the large machine, scanning for any mistakes, but to no surprise, he found none. He walked over to the table, where the blueprints for the machine lay. Cyborg and Tucker walked over with him.

"Everything seems to be in order." He said, going over the prints. "You guys should be done in a couple days." He said, turning to them with a smile. Cyborg rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Aw yeah, man! I can't wait to see this baby when she's all done." He said, gazing lovingly at the machine. "I know. All those weeks of accidentally shocking myself will all be worth it!" Tucker sighed, remembering all the electrical shocks the machine had given him.

Danny chuckled as he stared at the gaping hole in the wall, soon to be swirling with ghostly energy. He rubbed his arm, remembering the last time he had seen a newly made portal. He shuddered at the memory of the electrocution. Who could have guessed a simple accident would change his life forever? Tucker walked over to the control panel. "See, Danny. This time the _on_ button is on the _outside_." Tucker said with a smirk. Danny made a face at the boy, Cyborg chuckling to the side. "Yeah, one ghost boy is enough." Danny said as he turned back to the table with the blueprints.

Suddenly, out of the corner of their eyes, they saw a monkey fall from the ceiling and crash onto the table in front of them, breaking it in half, as well as scaring the pants of off the three boys. Once the shock wore off, they gazed down at the table, watching as a green monkey stood and rubbed its head, transforming back into Beastboy, who gazed at them with a sheepish smile. "Hehehe….oops?" He chuckled nervously. Cyborg stared at the boy, a deep shade of red bubbling to the surface of his face. "Oops? OOPS?!" Beast boy screamed and ran out of the room as Cyborg followed, the robot trying to remember where he put the motor oil.

* * *

Starfire could barely stand still as they stood on the roof, overlooking the bay. Danny smiled at the girl's excitement. "You really haven't flown with anyone else?" He asked. The girl shook her head. "Raven is…..complicated, so she normally does not wish to fly with me, and Beast boy cannot talk to me when he flies, for he is always in animal form.

She clasped her hands together and spun around in the air. "Oh, but I have always wished to fly in the air with a partner..." She paused and a small smile graced her lips. "Well...a partner I did not have to carry."

Danny chuckled at that. He felt the white rings appear around his waist and travel up and down his body. Starfire raised her hands to her face, blocking her eyes from the bright light. When she put them down, Phantom replaced Fenton. He floated up into the air and held out a hand. "Coming?" He asked. Starfire grinned and grabbed his hand, roughly yanking him higher into the air, much to his surprise.

Danny sighed as the rising sun shone down on him, the warmth radiating from the glowing light soaking into his skin. Danny always loved flying close to the sun. Being a ghost, feeling cold was a normal feeling. But whenever he flew around the sun, he felt the warmth like a human who hadn't seen the light in months. It energized him and made a smile creep onto his face.

Starfire giggled beside him, twirling and looping in the air. Danny laughed and did the same. "I love flying, friend Danny. It is one of the most enjoyable acts I have ever been able to perform! Do you not agree?" She asked, performing a particular graceful loop. Danny sighed. "Yeah, ever since I got my powers, flying was always one of the upsides. It was one of the things that made my powers tolerable." He said as he ran his hands lazily through one of the nearby clouds.

Starfire slowed and flipped over, hovering on her back as she faced him. "I do not understand." Danny lowered his gaze and flew over to the cloud, flying into it, feeling the almost non-existent mass passing through his fingers, cool and soft. Starfire flew over, giggling slightly as the cloud wrapped itself around her. "When I got my powers...I was terrified." Danny finally explained. "I was already a loser at school, then because of some...accident, I became the freak of the town." He ran his hands through the cloud, not making eye contact. "I was so scared.

Scared because my parents were ghost hunters, and I had just become a ghost freak. Scared because if anyone ever found out, I would be shipped away, never seen again. Scared because any chance I had at leading a normal life was zapped as soon as I walked inside that portal!"

Starfire said nothing, only listened as the boy let out more than he thought he would.

"But, after a while, I got used to my powers. I finally started seeing the bright side of them." He flew out of the cloud and twisted in the air, demonstrating what he meant. "I finally realized I could do more with what I had been given. And with my friends, I was never alone." A small smile crept up onto his face. "We were freaks together."

Starfire flew up to him and placed her hands over his. "When I first came to Earth. I was scared too. I did not understand their ways. I did not speak like them, act like them. I was confused.

I was...a freak.

But then I met my friends. They made me feel...normal. They gave me a home, a family. So I will always be grateful to them. I realize you must have been scared before." She smiled at him. "But you are not alone. Not anymore."

Danny smiled and let the girl hug him. But it was different. It wasn't bone-crushing. It was gently and sincere. They pulled away and sighed. Danny glanced around and realized just how high up they were. The tower was only a small smudge in blue water of the bay that surrounded it. Danny smirked. "Hey, wanna race?" Starfire turned to him, a smile growing on her face, eyes turning an electric green.

* * *

Beastboy cried out as the screen flashed a _game over_. He groaned and slumped down to the ground. Sam laughed as she sat on the couch, Danny chuckling next to her. "Man, I thought you were good at this game." Sam said as the screen returned to the startup menu. "Well, to be fair, everybody looks bad compared to you, Sam." Danny chuckled as he punched the girl in the arm.

Beast boy pouted. "Man, I am never going to get anywhere with this game." He crossed his arms. Danny chuckled and stood up. Sam gave him a puzzled look, but it instantly cleared once he transformed into Phantom. He hauled a confused Beast boy to his feet. "You want the full gaming experience? You got it!" He said as he picked up the boy and turned intangible, flying into the monitor.

Pixels started to form before Danny's eyes as the world around him changed into a pixelated battlefield then slowly became real….well...real to him. He was in his white Doomed outfit with his blue blaster holstered to his side. He heard an exclamation of surprise beside hi. He turned and saw Beast boy materializing. He wore a dark purple and black uniform that matched the outfit he normally wore. He stared at the surroundings with eyes as wide as saucers. "Dude…..WE'RE IN THE GAME!"

Danny smiled and transformed his character into its Phantom form. "Yeah, and we have some awesome gaming secrets." Beast boy looked at him confused, but suddenly ducked as a blast went over his head, missing by mere inches. They turned and saw two blue creatures with laser axes firing at them. They instantly ducked behind one of the nearby boulders.

"Okay, I just thought of something. If we're in the game…..what happens when it's game over?" Beast boy asked, suddenly concerned. Danny shrugged. "We just get blasted out of the game, back into the living room." He grabbed Beast boy's wrist and flew up into the air, flying straight for the two creatures.

"Uh, Dude! What are you doing?!" Beast boy screamed. Danny smiled. "Just trust me!" He said, turning intangible at the last second, flying into the next level portal.

On the Bridge of Doom, Danny harmlessly phased through the truck, Beast boy still in hand.

"Dude, you're like the ultimate cheat code!"

Danny smiled. "That's what I said!"

* * *

Danny hopped on the couch next to Raven, who silently read beside him. Nobody was in the room besides the two, making this the perfect opportunity for Danny to get to know the sorceress more.

He glanced around awkwardly as the girl continued to read, not even acknowledging his presence. He twiddled his thumbs together as he tried to think of something to say. "So...whatchya' reading?" He asked, trying to break the silence.

"Poems by Edgar Allen Poe." Raven said, devoid of any emotion.

Danny cleared his throat. "Cool, cool. You know, I had to do an assignment at school about him. Hehe...it..." He started, only to have Raven cut him off. "Look, Danny. I know you probably think I don't like you, but that's just how I act. I'm fine with you, I even agreed with Robin when he asked me if we should have made you guys Titans." She put her book down. "We're okay."

Danny sighed in relief, only to have her continue. "But whatever... _this_...just was, yeah, we're not going to do that again, ever." She said, turning down to her book again. Danny chuckled nervously as he stood up quickly, only to trip over the couch and tumble over it. He quickly stood back up and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hehehe...yeah...you got it..." He said, slowly backing out of the room, high-tailing it out of their once he was close enough to the door.

Raven felt a sly smile creep onto her face.

* * *

Robin stared at the monitor in the training room. He watched the movements of the ghost as it battled. He narrowed his eyes. He knew 35 different types of fighting styles, he had been trained by the best for years and he was the leader of a team of super-powered teens, but how was he supposed to compete with things that could turn intangible, invisible and who-knew what else? Suddenly, he perked up as an idea came into his mind. He _did_ know someone who knew.

"So, you just want to know about ghosts?" Danny asked confused as to why Robin had dragged him into the room. He nodded. "We've been having some ghost problems and I realized we know next to nothing about them. Then I remembered you know just about everything."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "I wouldn't say that, but I do know a few things." He said as he grabbed a chair and sat backwards in it as he faced Robin, who did the same, grabbing a notebook to write down the new information.

"Well, there is a set of basic powers that every ghost has: intangibility, invisibility, flight and possession. Then, the more powerful the ghost is, the more powers it has, like me. It might just because i'm half human, but my powers are always growing with me, always developing. Now, there are some ghosts with a specific set of powers to match the type of ghost they are. Like Ember.." Danny started, only for Robin to look up from his notes.

"The pop-star? _She_ was a ghost _?"_ He asked, dumbfounded. Danny nodded with a smirk. "Yeah, her powers revolved around her music and the attention it brought her. Umm...OH! Vortex, an angry cloud-thing, had weather powers, Undergrowth, a living weed has powers that revolve around plants." He paused and rubbed his arm. "Carnivorous plants."

"Ouch." Robin muttered as he continued to write. "And, my friend Frostbite had powers that come from ice and snow, which is a little bit like what I can do. We share the same thing, an ice core. It sustains the amount of cold energy I have inside me. It was actually the only thing that helped my defeat Undergrowth."

Robin continued to write down the information he was hearing, knowing it would one day come in handy for him. "Now, every ghost has a desire, an obsession. It's the one thing that keeps them alive, keeps them a ghost. It's their drive. Something they need to do. I guess in a way, you have an obsession like mine, Robin. To protect people, keep them safe." He stopped and chuckled. "Though, I'm sure many of the ghosts in the ghost zone would disagree with mine."

Robin stopped. "You seem to have a lot of ghostly enemies." Danny gave a full-out snort at that. "A lot? Try a million!" Robin leaned forward. "Well do you have any allies?" Danny paused and nodded. "I do have a few friends in the ghost zone. They would probably be able to help in a real emergency. First off, there's my cousin, Dani."

Robin paused. "You have a cousin?" Danny shrugged. "You...could say that. Anyway, she has powers like mine. She's kind of hard to track down, but I know if I'm ever in trouble, Dani would be here in a instant. There's Frostbite and the Far Frozen. They kind of...worship me. Ever since I defeated the Ghost King, I've been kind of a savior to them." Danny said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Uh, there's Pandora." He started, only to stop as Robin looked at him in confusion. "Pandora...? As in Pandora's box...? THAT Pandora?" Danny chuckled. "Yep, that Pandora. There's Wulf, a friend that can tear holes in between here and the Ghost Zone. My 'dog' Cujo, who can grow in size from the size of a football to the size of a football _field._ But really, he's not my dog, despite what people say. And my friend, Dorathea, a dragon ghost with a full army at her command. She's a real big asset." Danny said, wondering if he had forgotten anything.

"OH, and Clockwork MIGHT and this is a big might. He's always ' _i can't interfere with the time stream, blah, blah, blah._ ' But if you're lucky, maybe you can convince him." "If the situation is bad enough, then MAYBE some of the other ghosts in the zone might help. BUT it has to be a HUGE problem that will ultimately effect them for the worse."

Danny sighed and laid his chin on the top of the chair, taking in a deep breath from talking so much. Robin looked over the paper, nodding in satisfaction at the information he had collected. "I think that's enough for today." He said, standing from the chair, Danny doing the same. The Boy Wonder walked over and placed an arm around the teen's shoulders. Danny grinned and did the same. "I think Beastboy said something about a monster movie marathon." Danny chuckled. Robin's grin grew larger. "Guess we shouldn't be late then." Suddenly, Danny flipped over Robin's head, running out of the room. "RACE YOU!" Robin chuckled and raced out of the room.

Sprinting down the hallway, a sly smile crept onto Robin's face as he reached into his belt and grabbed two ice pellets, throwing them down on the ground behind him, the floor becoming slick with the slippery ice. Danny let out a yelp of shock as he tumbled to the ground. "Jerk!" He shouted, Robin turned his head to glance back at the boy. "Sorry! Can't hear you!" He smirked, placing a hand up to his ear.

Danny narrowed his eyes and extended a hand, green ectoplasmic goo shooting out of his fingertips, latching onto Robin's legs, sending him crashing to the ground. Flipping over, the Boy Wonder gazed down at the sticky substance in confusion. "What the heck...?" He asked as he placed a finger in the goo, his hand becoming stuck as well.

Danny flashed a toothy smile as he casually walked over. Robin glared fake daggers at the boy. "You dork! Get me out of this stuff!" He shouted. Danny closed his eyes and placed a hand to his ear. "Sorry! Can't hear you!" He beamed.

As Danny casually walked through the hallway, Robin shouting a few profanities in the distance whenever he would get another limb stuck in the goo, a large smile made his way onto his face. Life was much different from a couple weeks ago when they were living in the abandoned factory. As the boy made his way into the Ops Center, where the others were waiting for them, a single thought crept into his mind.

 _Things couldn't be better_

* * *

 ** _Fenton Family Assault Vehicle_**

 _Things couldn't be worse._

Maddie thought as she stared blankly ahead at the road as it slowly passed by. They had been searching for weeks, and there was still no sign of her children. As they wandered the streets in the RV, nobody said a word. Jack sat in the drivers seat, mirroring the looks of frustration, anger and depression in his wife's face.

They were currently in Jump City, the next city on their list of potential places their kids were finding, but it seemed just like the other cities they had searched. Bustling with life, except for the two lives they so desperately searched for.

Maddie sighed and curled up in the seat, when suddenly, a blaring filled the RV, causing Jack to swerve in panic. Maddie bolted upright and wildly searched the vehicle until her eyes landed on the blinking box on the ground behind her seat. She reached back and pulled out the Fenton Finder, which was now online once again. She stared in shock as it turned on and a small red dot appeared on the screen. _Ghost Located,_ it said in it's automated voice before powering down once more, once again, malfunctioning, but right now, Maddie didn't care. Even if it had been for a few seconds, the finder had finally produced. It proved it.

Her son, her children were here, in Jump.

Now, all she had to do was find them.

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

Slade growled and slammed his fist down on the table, watching a video of Danny and co. in their masks fighting alongside the Titans.

He sighed. He hadn't wanted it to come to this. He had hoped it would have worked out on it's own, but apparently, he counted too much on other people's ruthlessness. Nevertheless, he still had a plan. He always had a plan. He reached into his pocket, dialing the number he had saved for this specific incident.

The phone rang, waiting for the GIW agent on the other line to pick up, and receive excellent news regarding their little lost ghost.

* * *

G.I.W. Headquarters

Commander put down the phone and smiled.

 _Finally_

Finally, they had him. His agents had just left, dropping off a new and improved DNA Finder. Now, once in JUmp, they could pin-point the boy's exact location, instead of aimlessly wandering the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

He smiled, chuckling to himself, until it became a full-blown cackle.

 _Time's up, Daniel._

He thought as he walked out of the room, on his way to alert his men, passing the large grey doors. The doors that would lock Daniel in. The doors that would seal him into his fate.

Commander couldn't wait.

 _Things couldn't be better_

* * *

 **FINALLY! I'm finally done with this chapter! While this isn't my favorite chapter, I still wanted to wrap it up before the weekend finished. Sorry it took so long. I know it's a little bit...slow-paced. But I PROMISE the next few chapters will be so action-packed you won't be able to handle it!**

 **And just to clarify before the next chapter, the GIW will call the Justice League for backup, just in case you wonder why they show up all of a sudden.**

 **I put Maddie, Slade and the GIW in this chapter in little snips because I didn't feel like making a whole chapter for them, especially since they only have a few sentences.**

 **So the next chapter should be out soon. Once again, sorry for the long delay.  
**

 **Just a sneak peak: How will Danny and the Titans react when the Guys in White show up to take Danny away, with a little superhero backup? Will they succeed in taking Danny, will the Titans be able to stop them, and what will the Titans do when the Justice League tries to convince them otherwise. Will they give up on new friends, or will it result in an all out superhero brawl?!**

 **Find out in Chapter 19: Unmasked...Villains?**


	19. Chapter 19: Unmasked Villains Part l

**Chapter 19: Unmasked Villains Part l:**

 **Titans Tower Lab**

The titans all stood around the room, facing the large gaping hole in the wall as Tucker and Cyborg stood proudly by it. "Sooo...what are we here for?" Raven asked, slightly pissed they had disturbed her meditation. Cyborg cleared his throat. "Well, as you guys know, we have been working on a functional portal, similar to the Fenton Portal." He explained. Tucker stepped forward and walked over to the control panel. "And we finally finished." He said as he slammed his hand down on the button.

The two doors that sealed off the machine slowly spread apart, revealing a functioning glowing green ghost portal. Danny crossed his arms and smiled in satisfaction. They really had done it.

The other titans gazed at it in awe. "Dude! That's awesome!" Beastboy said, stepping closer, only to have Sam grab the back of his uniform and drag him back. "Hang on their, BB." She turned to Cyborg and Tucker, who were nearly squealing in their excitement. "You mean to tell me you guys created ANOTHER portal to the ghost zone?" They nodded. "Sure did, Sam. And if I must say, I think this one beats BOTH of those others." Tucker said, crossing his arms proudly. "Do we know where it leads in the ghost zone?" She asked.

The two looked at each other in confusion. "Uhhh...we haven't really been able to go through yet." Cyborg explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, we wanted to show you guys first, and then...maybe we could explore." Tucker said. Danny walked over to the portal, staring at the swirling green. "As long as you guys followed all the instructions from the blueprints, it should be just like my parents' portal. Perfectly safe." He said, turning back to the others with a smile. "Well...as long as you don't turn it on while you're inside." He muttered.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Well...I don't know." He said, only to have Starfire fly up to him. "Oh, please say it is okay to explore in the Zone of Ghosts. There is much we do not know about it! This may be a chance to learn." She explained, giving him the puppy-dog stare for added emphasis. He groaned, thinking about it, when Beastboy, Cyborg and Tucker started giving him the same look, begging on their hands and knees alongside Starfire. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "And how do you expect us to travel through there, huh?" He asked, only to have Cyborg quickly stand. "Got that covered." He walked over to the side of the room, where the control panel for the secret compartment in the floor was managed. "See, Danny told me about the machine they used to travel through the portal, and I just had to see if I could replicate it, with his help of course." He said with a sly smile on his face.

Tucker tilted his head in confusion. Even HE didn't know what Cyborg was talking about. "May I present, the Specter Speeder 2.0!" He shouted as he pressed a button on the control panel, and the compartment for the floor started to open, a large version of the specter speeder rising out of the floor. Instead of the usual white of the Fenton version, this one was a silver black with swirls of green, the Titans insignia plastered on the side.

They turned to Robin once more. He groaned as a small smile appeared on his face. "Fine, let's check it out." The others cheered as they all piled into the new speeder, which was much bigger than the old one. Danny transformed into Phantom and flew up next to the speeder. "Wherever we end up, we'll have to be careful. Most of the ghosts in the zone are NOT friendly. And most don't like me specifically." Danny said as the speeder faced the glowing portal. Cyborg grinned and slammed his fist on the ignition, sending the rocket speeding into the portal, Danny close behind.

* * *

 **Ghost Zone**

"This is soooo cool!" Beastboy shouted as they sped through the zone. The others, excluding the ones that had been in the zone before, gave a similar reaction to the swirling green background and the floating land masses.

"So, do you have any idea where we are?" Sam asked as she glanced around, not seeing any distinct landmarks. Danny sighed, doing the same. "Not really, no." He said as he flew a little ways ahead of the speeder, watching as a small cluster of ghosts passed by, holding his hand out, stopping the speeder as the ghosts passed by. "So, this is where they live?" Cyborg asked as he watched as they passed by, Beastboy and Starfire cowering behind him. "Pretty much." Danny said as they continued flying, passing by a dead tree, which was glowing an eerie purple.

Danny studied the tree, realizing it could be a checkpoint for them if they ever got lost. "This place is most fascinating." Starfire said as they delved deeper into the zone. Danny chuckled, when all of a sudden, a bright blue blast hit him in the side, sending him crashing into one of the nearby outcrops of rock. "Danny!" The Titans shouted when a ghost with metallic armor flew past them. "So, whelp. It seems you've made some new friends." Skulker sneered as Danny flew towards him, ecto-blast in hand. He fired, hitting the ghost in the shoulder, sending him tumbling.

"Friend of yours?" Robin asked as Cyborg flew the rocket as fast as he could away from the scene. "He kind of wants my pelt on his wall." Danny said as he flew next to the rocket. "EWW!" Beastboy grimaced. "That's what I said." Danny growled as more blasts passed by overhead.

"Okay, this is bad. Cyborg! You have any weapons programmed into that thing?!" He asked as he threw up an ecto shield as a blast came dangerously close to hitting them. "Heck yeah, I do!" The robot yelled. "Well then, now might be a good time to USE THEM!" Danny shouted as a net encased him. He let out a small scream as it shocked him. Skulker then proceeded to reel the net back in, satisfied with his catch, when he was hit in the chest with a bright green blast.

Danny broke free of the net and glanced back to see Cyborg smirking proudly as the blaster on top of the speeder smoked from the recent blast. He flew down to the front of the speeder. "Come on! We got to go, before he comes back, or worse...comes back with friends!"

The others nodded and Cyborg slammed his foot on the pedal, shooting the rocket forward. Danny stopped and flew backwards when he noticed a snowy tunnel. Cyborg followed Danny into the tunnel and stopped the speeder, and they silently watched as Skulker flew by overhead, scanning the area for them.

Danny sighed as the hunter flew away and turned to look at where they were when he heard Starfire scream. He gasped as the speeder was surrounded by five yeti-monsters, each growling menacingly at the rocket as they slowly approached the rocket, teeth glistening and claws scraping the ground as they stalked forward. "Titans, GO!" Robin called as the Titans, excluding Cyborg, who was managing the controls of the speeder, and Sam, Tucker and Jazz, who were trying to stop them.

Robin felt himself shiver as he stepped out of the speeder, the cold that wasn't able to enter the speeder chilling him to the bone. HE gripped his bow staff as the monsters closed in on them. Starfire charged up her starbolts as her eyes started glowing an electric green. Raven flew up into the air, hands poised, ready to strike. Beastboy changed into a tiger, tail lashing back and forth as he snarled at the yetis, and Cyborg narrowed his eyes and poised his finger over the defense mechanisms, but stopped as he watched Danny fly down and land in front of them.

"Wait! Don't hurt them!" He called. Robin couldn't tell if he was talking to them or the monsters. His confusion deepened as he watched the monsters stop attacking and start...bowing? They were! They were bowing to him!

Suddenly, the yetis parted as a larger one with a single arm made of ice approached the scene, stopping and smiling when he saw Danny, who proceeded to fly up and embrace the monster in a hug. The others could only stare in confusion as Sam, Tucker and Jazz exited the rocket and ran over to the yeti, doing the same. They looked at each other, then cautiously approaching the large monster.

"Oh, Guys! This is my friend Frostbite, leader of the Far Frozen. Frostbite, these are my new friends: Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beastboy and Raven." He gestured to each Titan as he listed off their names. "It is wondrous to meet new friends of the Great One." Frostbite said, acknowledging them. "Come! You all must be cold. We welcome you to our village!" He said, lifting Danny and Jazz on one shoulder and Sam and Tucker on the other. The remaining yetis doing the same with the other titans, much to their surprise.

"The Great One?" Raven asked, a growing smirk on her face. Danny chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as the others laughed.

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

Robin lunged forward with his staff as Jazz twisted in the opposite direction, knocking Robin's legs out from under him, sending him to the ground. He flipped over onto his back and kicked upwards, knocking her staff out of her hands. He then twisted back onto his feet, sending punch after punch at her. Jazz raised her hands, blocking the punches as they flew at her, throwing a few of her own in the mix, satisfaction filling her as a certain punch got through, hitting the Boy Wonder in the cheek, making him reel backwards.

Jazz saw an opening and threw a punch at his stomach, only to have surprise course through her as he grabbed her fist and flipped her over onto her back. She groaned and clutched her wrist. Robin knelt down and offered her a hand. She gave a small smile and gratefully accepted it as he helped haul her onto her feet.

"You're getting a lot better, Jazz. A couple more sessions and we'll really be getting somewhere." Robin said, tossing her a towel. "Thanks, Rob." She said, wiping the sweat from her face, chugging down a bottle of water, throwing another at Rob, who did the same.

They turned and watched as the others trained as well: Danny flying with Starfire, each dodging an assortment of droids, each firing a barrage of red lasers, Raven encasing many of the objects in the room, pushing her magic to reach out farther and have the objects swirl around her without breaking concentration, Sam and Tucker sparring with each other, each trying to pin the other, Cyborg lifting tons as he pushed his limits and Beastboy running on a treadmill as different animals, trying to stay in pace with the differentiating speeds.

Danny turned over, flying on his back as he fired ecto-blasts at the droids, Starfire doing the same, each trying to take out as many as possible.

He dove underneath, half of the droids following him as the other half stayed with Starfire. He flew across the room, freezing some more of the droids as he flew upwards. He caught a glimpse of Starfire, she nodded her head, and he flew towards her. Starfire flew up and did the same, each of them flying straight for the other, the droids on them doing the same.

Right before they were about to crash into each other, Starfire and Danny started twisting in the air, each barely dodging the other. The droids weren't so lucky. The droids from one side collided with the droids from the other, creating many small blasts as they were destroyed.

Danny floated down to the ground, Starfire clapping her hands next to him, and tackled him to the ground. Danny smirked and rolled over, pinning her to the ground. She gave a wicked smile and kicked up with her back legs, thus beginning the match to see who could pin who. But before they could go any farther, an alarm sounded throughout the tower. Robin looked up and glanced back to the other Titans. "Titans, GO!"

* * *

 **Jump City Golden View Park**

"Mumbo Jumbo!"

Much to his surprise, Danny's ecto-blast became an explosion of streamers that harmlessly fell to the ground. He shouted in surprise as a bright blast hit him in the chest, sending him straight into Cyborg, the pair tumbling dangerously close to the edge of the cliff that sat at the edge of the area as it overlooked the bay. The robot groaned and yelped in surprise as a bolt of energy from Mumbo's had hit the spot on the grass where he had just been, scorching it black. He growled and faced the man. He glanced towards Danny, who nodded.

Cyborg grinned as he picked up Danny, reared back, and sent him shooting towards the magician, hands glowing with energy, only to groan as a brick wall suddenly appeared right in front of the magician. The sound of Danny hitting the wall face first made the others cringe as he slowly slid down the side of the wall, crashing back onto the ground, seeing mini Mumbo's dance in front of his eyes as he let his head drop back onto the ground, suddenly tired.

Robin slammed his staff down on the ground, right where Mumbo used to be. He raised an eyebrow in confusion as to where the man went, when he was sent flying as a stream of doves hit him in the side, the white birds pecking and prodding at him as he tried to swat them away, but that only seemed to make them angrier.

Raven created platforms out of her magic for Jazz and Sam to jump on as they tried to get the jump on the magician, only for the platforms to turn to clouds right underneath their feet. They let out gasps of surprise that turned to screams as they fell, Raven catching them with her magic mere inches before they hit the ground.

Beastboy turned into a gorilla and charged the man, who merely tapped his wand on the grass, turning the patch that Beastboy stood on to ice, making the boy cry out in surprise as he slipped and slid across the ice, reverting back to human form. Tucker jumped over him, flinging his whip at the man, successfully trapping the man. But he merely laughed and cried, "Mumbo Jumbo!" and he took off to the air, Tucker hanging on for dear life as he was dragged along for the ride.

Starfire gasped and flew up into the air, grabbing the rope and pulling it back towards the ground, along with Tucker and Mumbo. Before they hit, she grabbed Tucker and let go of the whip, sending Mumbo crashing to the ground. He groaned and grabbed his wand once more, pointing it at the two Titans, Causing the grass at their feet to wrap around their ankles and start to crawl up their bodies. "Hey! I've already dealt with evil plants! I do not want to go through that again!" He yelled as he tried unsuccessfully to escape from the vines.

Danny groaned and sat up, clutching his sore head when he saw Mumbo distracted by Starfire and Tucker being entangled in...grass? He shrugged and saw an opening. He flew up and shot towards Mumbo. He rammed into the magician's back, sending him tumbling to the ground as the two wrestled for control of the wand. Danny threw a punch at the magician, who in counter, pushed Danny's head away with his hand, knocking the mask off, the process going unnoticed by Danny.

Finally, the boy got ahold of the hand, standing up as Mumbo searched the ground for the stick that was now in Danny's hand. Once he realized and looked up, he saw Danny snap the ward in two. Mumbo gasped and Danny watched in confusion as the blue-skinned magician became a sad old man in overalls.

The other Titans, now regaining their senses, walked over as Danny let the remaining pieces of the wand fall to the grass in front of the man. Robin smirked and placed the man in handcuffs. He motioned to Sam, Tucker and Jazz. "The cops are waiting near the entrance." He said, handing the man over to them. They nodded and started walking away from the scene. Robin then noticed Danny's mask on the ground. He picked it up and offered it to the boy. Danny gave a small smile and reached out to take it, only to yell out in surprise as a glowing green rope shot out from one of the buses and tied itself around him, securing his hands to his sides. "What the heck?!" Danny shouted in confusion, the others thinking the same. Danny groaned and struggled with the bonds, the others just about to help them, when they stopped and stared in shock and fear at the figure in the bushes where the rope came from. Danny turned and felt his blood run cold.

"Daniel Fenton a.k.a. Danny Phantom, you're under arrest!" Commander yelled as he snapped his fingers. All of a sudden, the empty park wasn't so empty anymore. All around them, agents appeared, each carrying guns that were directed at Danny. Vans of the same color pulled up alongside them and a handful of jets soared by overhead, ready if Phantom escaped, but they all knew he couldn't. Not from those ropes.

Danny felt fear creeping into his system as he struggled even more to escape from the bonds, only to scream out in excruciating pain as the ropes glowed a brighter green. It felt as though fire was coursing through his systems, draining his energy as the bonds tormented him. He crumpled to the ground as the pain stopped, black stops swimming at the edge of his vision. "Wh...what..was that?" He asked to nobody in particular.

Commander smirked darkly at him. "Ectoranium, and we have plenty of it, where you're going." He said as two agents came over and roughly grabbed his shoulders, dragging him towards one of the more heavily guarded vans, only to stop as Robin and the other Titans, excluding Sam, Tucker and Jazz, stepped forward. "You guys aren't taking him anywhere!" Robin shouted as he gripped his staff in fury. The Commander smirked at them. "Go home, kids. This doesn't concern you."

That made Robin and the others even more angry. "Titans, G.." Danny heard Robin start yelling the signature cry, then abruptly stop. He cracked open his eyes, glancing at his teammates as the agents dragged him away, his feet scraping the ground as he was pulled. He watched as the Titans stared at something overhead, but Danny couldn't see anything. All he could see was his friends standing there, doing nothing as he was dragged away to his doom.

"G..guys...help." He said quietly, almost too quick for them to hear, but they did, and they could only watch as an agent hit their friend in the back of the head, knocking him out. "The other kids are out there somewhere." Commander said to two of the agents. "But we have our main priority. If those kids are smart, they would have escaped from Phantom's clutches as soon as they had the chance."

But what they didn't know was that Sam and the others were crouched down behind the bushes a little ways off, watching the whole encounter. "Why are we hiding?! We have to help Danny!" Tucker whispered angrily. "We aren't any use to Danny if we get caught. We'll have to help the Titans and get him back. We aren't going to leave him with... _them_ " Sam spit out the last word like it was acid.

Robin knew he had to do something. He had to get Danny out of the van, away from those people, away from those monsters. But he couldn't move. His eyes were locked onto the figure floating in front of them. He snapped out of his trance when he heard the engine to the van start up. He narrowed his eyes. "Titans. GO!" HE yelled, running forward, only to stop when the figure landed in front of them, blocking their path.

Robin narrowed his eyes as Superman blocked him off from his friend, his friend that needed him now more than ever. "Get out of our way." Robin growled darkly. Superman merely glanced down at him. "Where are the other three?" He asked, completely ignoring the boy's command. "Fine." Robin growled as he flipped over the man, much to his surprise, his teammates doing the same. By now, the van and the agents were gone, but they could still track it, if they were quick.

But once again, they were stopped in their track when a small black object landed in the grass in front of them. An object Robin had seen scare criminals and thugs out of their minds, an object that filled him with frustration and anger, an object he had seen one to many times.

A bat-a-rang.

"Robin, stop." A deep voice rang out over the park. Robin stopped running and stood up straight, gripping his staff so tight he was surprised it didn't snap in two. "I don't take orders from you anymore." Robin growled through clenched teeth as he turned to face Batman, instead, getting more than he bargained for. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter all stood together, each giving the Titans a look that said they only saw a group of immature children that had something they wanted.

"Where are they, Robin? The other kids?" Batman continued. "We know they wouldn't go far without that boy." Lantern stated. Starfire clenched her fists. "We do not wish to tell you anything! You wish to harm our new friends!" She growled as Robin tried to get her calm.

"Friends?" Wonder Woman asked with narrowed eyes. Starfire growled at them as her eyes glowed an electric green, a clear sign she was pissed. Batman sighed, knowing they wouldn't get anything out of these kids. He turned to J'onn and nodded. The alien turned away from the group and floated up into the air, Lantern floating up next to him, ready to restrain the kids.

J'onn reached out with his mind, searching to see if the children were anywhere in the vicinity, when he paused as he felt the presence of three minds. Three teenage minds. He gestured to a group of bushes near the edge of the park. Lantern nodded and summoned the energy from his ring, wrapping the energy around the three hidden bodies in the bushes.

"Hey!"

"What they heck!?"

"Let us go!"

The three teens yelled and shouted in anger and fear. The Titans could only stare as their remaining friends were dug out of the bushes. Raven clenched her fists. They were her friends. These "heroes" weren't going to take them away from her. She raised her hands and wrapped her own magic around the teens, encasing them in a bubble of her own magic. Lantern could only look on in shock as Raven's magic broke through his and brought the teens toward the Titans.

Raven gently dropped the teens down behind them, the Titans standing protectively in front of them. "You aren't getting any more of our friends!" Cyborg growled. Superman clenched his fists. "They're criminals. You can't change that."

"Criminals YOU'VE been harboring." Hawkgirl said with narrowed eyes.

"They aren't criminals! You can't believe everything you hear. You're supposed to be heroes, but you're not even giving them a chance!" Robin snarled at them. Batman paused, remembering when Danny had said something similar to that when he had fought with them. He also realized that Robin was voicing his own doubts. He could see the others hesitating as well. But Batman knew.

It was too late.

That boy would be killed in the hands of that organization. They couldn't change that. But he also knew someone had to pay for all the crimes that had been committed. "I'm sorry, Robin, but..." He started, only to be cut off by his former apprentice. "No. You aren't sorry. You don't care, do you? You don't care what happens to them, what happens to Danny. You only care about yourself, about your image!" Robin shouted, now addressing the whole Justice League.

"You're all worried what people will think if you side with a 'monster'. But I can promise you that Danny is not a MONSTER! He's my friend! And I promised him I wouldn't let the GIW get him, and because of YOU, that promise was broken!" Robin shouted, his fists shaking with fury. The League glanced uneasily at each other, even Batman. He had never seen Robin so angry, even when he had broken off as his apprentice.

"You've all been so blind by 'getting justice' that you haven't been able to see what was right in front of you! These aren't criminals. They're kids. They're our friends." Robin closed his eyes, realizing what they had to do. They had to defend their friends, no matter what. They had to free Danny, no matter what. They couldn't fail. NO MATTER WHAT.

He got into a defensive stance, the Titans behind him staring at him as if he were crazy, then realizing they were willing to do the same. Starfire flew up into the air, eyes and hands glowing the same green. "You will not hurt my friends any longer!"

Cyborg readied himself as he charged up his sonic blaster. "You aren't getting your hands on them!"

Raven floated up next to Starfire, her hands poised, waiting for the spells she would inevitably have to cast. "We WILL get him back." She growled, angrier than ever.

Beastboy stood rigid, ready to transform when needed, even the bubbly changeling was filled with anger. "We won't let you take them!"

Robin opened his eyes once more, staring at Batman straight in the eye, probably the only person who could without cowering in fear. "We WILL protect our friends. We WILL free Danny from that place, wherever it is, even if we have to break in and escape with him." Batman narrowed his eyes and took a fighting stance as the teens opposite to him did the same. The league members were hesitant, then got in the same stances.

"You've never listened to me, Batman. Not before, not when I was your apprentice. But you WILL listen now!"

The two sides stared at each other, each ready for what would come next.

"You won't stop us from protecting our friends!"

"Titans, GO!"

* * *

 **SO SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER! please don't kill me, but I really wanted to make this chapter two parts, considering it is pretty important.**

 **Noe I know some of you will say:**

 **"But I thought the league thought they were good!"**

 **"The league wouldn't jump to conclusions like that!"**

 **"They would hear what the kids have to say!"**

 **but you have to realize, the league never wanted to hurt anybody. But they believe the kids are criminals. They believe they committed the crimes. They don't realize the GIW is corrupted, or they never would have teamed up with them. Anf even though some members of the league are suspicious of the GIW and want to hear what the kids have to say, *couch, couch, Batman, couch*, they still don't have the evidence to prove it, so they are agreeing with the obvious solution.**

 **But I promise things will clear up in the next chapter: Unmasked Heroes Part ll**


	20. Chapter 20: Unmasked Heroes Part ll

**Chapter 20: Unmasked Heroes Part ll**

* * *

 **Jump City Golden View Park**

"Titans, GO!" Robin shouted as they surged forward. Batman twisted to the side, avoiding the attack as Robin swung his staff towards his former mentor.

The battle had begun.

Robin jumped forward swinging his staff at Batman, who jumped into the air to avoid it. Robin dug into his belt, throwing a barrage of bird-a-rangs, Batman lunging to the side to avoid the oncoming attack. He threw a pellet on the ground, covering the area in a cloud of smoke. Robin twisted around, trying to locate him, when he felt a large force ram into his side, sending him skidding across the grass.

Robin growled, and glanced up as a clap of thunder echoed throughout the area. He shook his head and turned back as Batman, who threw a punch at him. Robin jumped up, avoiding the blow as he threw his legs out, hitting Batman in the chest. He tumbled back as Robin grabbed his staff once more and charged the man.

The rain was starting to come down now, getting harder and harder with every passing minute, but nobody seemed to notice as the battle raged on.

* * *

Starfire flew into the air, coming even with Wonder Woman as the Amazonian gazed at the girl with hesitance to fight. "I do not wish to fight you, little one." She called. Starfire clenched her fists, remembering she had said something similar to Sam when they had first fought, the realization of what the league would do if they were taken away made her even angrier.

"But I wish to fight you! You will not harm my friends. I will not let you!" She shouted as she flew down, ramming into the woman's side, sending her crashing to the ground at the sudden attack. Wonder Women raised her arms, deflecting the multiple starbolts that were now showering down on her.

She reached down to her side and grabbed her whip, swinging it in the air and sending it shooting towards Starfire, the rope hitting its mark, wrapping itself around Starfire's torso.

The alien struggled and kicked against the bonds but found she couldn't break through. Her eyes glowed a menacing green as she flew up into the air, Wonder Women flying up as well to keep up and stay in range with the rope. Starfire then dove back down to the ground, dragging the Amazonian down as well, painfully yanking against her arm.

She dropped the whip as Starfire flew back up into the air, releasing the hold it had on the alien. Starfire let the rope fall limply to the ground and dove down towards the woman, blasts coming out of her eyes. Wonder Women leapt out of the way just as the bolt blaster away at the ground, creating a deep indentation that promptly exploded afterwards.

She quickly stood and summoned her shield, hurling it at Starfire, the weapon hitting the alien in the chest, sending her crashing to the ground. Wonder Women hesitated, then slowly and cautiously walked over to the small crater the alien had created. She saw the girl lying in the crater, unmoving. She slid down the hole and stood over the girl, slight worry in her eyes as she gazed at the girl.

Suddenly, Starfire leapt up and grabbed the Amazonian by the arms, flying the two into the air, screaming out in rage as she threw the woman down to the ground, hard. She then dove down, flying straight for the woman as she knelt on the ground, catching her breath. She looked up as the alien started flying down, determination in both of their eyes as the fight continued.

* * *

Cyborg growled as he slid across the wet grass, thunder booming overhead, lighting illuminating Superman's face as the Kryptonian slowly flew down and faced the teen.

"Stop fighting, please. Just give us those kids." He said, reluctant to hurt the teenage superhero.

Cyborg growled and raised his hand, hitting the man with a blast to the chest, driving him back a few paced. The robot stood, determination in his face. "What? So you can take them away like you guys let those agents take Danny?! I don't think so!"

He charged the man, throwing a hard punch at the man. Superman dodged and ducked from the punches, not wanting to fight the kid for as long as he could. Finally, as a certain punch came close to hitting its mark, he had had enough. He raised his hand, catching one of Cyborg's punches, much to the robot's surprise.

Cyborg groaned in pain as Superman started applying pressure to the fist he had in his grasp, before flipping the robot over and throwing him across the grass, the wet mud splashing against Cyborg's armor and face.

Cyborg glared at the alien and fired his cannon, Superman taking to the air as he avoided the blasts one by one as they followed him. One particular blast finally hit it's mark, sticking the alien in the side, sending him crashing to the ground. He stood and narrowed his eyes as the boy, rearing his fist back, Cyborg doing the same with his cannon. As they threw the punches, the two fists collided with each other, creating a large shockwave that reverberated throughout the park, throwing the two back.

Cyborg groaned as he stood back up onto his feet, facing his opponent once more. Superman stared hard at the Titan. He was stronger than he first thought. _He's determined to win._ Superman realized as he flew back and continued the battle. _Heroes don't fight this hard to protect villains, they do it to protect fellow heroes._ He realized as he continued fighting. He knew he had to get to the bottom of this, but first, he had to get this kid under control.

Cyborg slammed his charged fist into the man's cheek, denting the robot's hand slightly while sending Superman stumbling slightly. _This might be harder than I thought._ He noted as he reared back, continuing the battle as the storm raged on overhead.

* * *

Raven shot her magic out at Manhunter, sending the black tendrils swirling around the man, entrapping him in their grips. His face remained emotionless as his body turned intangible and phased through the grips.

"Great, another phantom trick." Raven growled as she coated the trees around her with the same magic, hurling them in the man's direction. He dove towards the ground, his body becoming the consistency of a liquid as he traveled across the ground, this going unnoticed by Raven as she tried to figure out where the man had gone.

Suddenly, she felt something wrap itself around her and she gasped as a serpent-like creature reared it's head as it glared menacingly at her. Raven gasped and struggled against the bonds of the creature as it started constricting, squeezing the breath out of her. She growled and coated the creature with her magic, hurling it to the ground, the creature slamming into the slick grass with a thud, then reverting back into its original alien form.

Manhunter flew back up into the air, faster than Raven could register, and sent a strong punch towards her, the blow hitting her in the shoulder, slamming her into a clump of trees, the force snapping the thick trunks of the trees as if they were toothpicks. He waited a moment for the young sorceress to reappear, but when she didn't, he flew down to the mangle of broken trees, scanning the pie for the young girl.

Suddenly, he was driven back as a large raven made entirely of black magic soared out of the pile of trees and enveloped the alien, sending him crashing to the ground. He transformed his body into a large dragon, roaring as he charged the black raven, wrapping itself around it, only to have the bird shoot out a blinding light.

The dragon roared once again as the bird flared its wings and flapped them down, creating a strong blast of magic that struck the creature, driving it back, making him revert back into alien form.

The raven also flew down gracefully onto the grass, lowering its wings and bowing its head as its body started to shrink until the magic had been contained in Raven once again. The two stared at each other, neither of their faces revealing any of the emotions they were feeling.

Lighting split the sky, lighting up the park, illuminating the other battles that were being fought.

* * *

Jazz rolled out of the way of the green beam that shot past her. She glared in the direction of where it had come from. Lantern flew down in front of her, arm extended, glowing ring pointed at her. "Come on, kid. I don't want to do this. Don't make me hurt you." He tried convincing the girl, only to have her snort in anger. "Do you know how many times I have heard that? Tons! And they always end the same way!" She yelled, twirling her staff, jabbing it into the ground, propelling herself up, sending a hard kick at his chest, driving him back, his feet skidding across the wet grass.

"Me beating the crap out of someone!" She shouted, raising her wrist, firing a barrage of blasts from the ray that still lay on her arm.

Lantern created a green shield, the blasts harmlessly bouncing off of it. He expanded the range of the ring's energy, enveloping the boulders around him with the energy. He narrowed his eyes and shot the rocks towards the girl. Jazz gripped her staff and leapt and dodged most of the boulders, while destroying the others with her staff of wrist ray.

Jazz gritted her teeth, fury pumping through her as she recalled the agents pulling her baby brother into the van while these _heroes_ sat idly by, not lifting a finger to help. She rushed the man, firing large blasts from the ray while delivering powerful jabs with the staff, most of the attacks being blocked when he would create a shield. She narrowed her eyes. He wasn't fighting back, he was just toying with her, like she wasn't even worth the exertion of energy.

"Stop hiding behind that shield and fight me like a man!" Jazz yelled, firing a large blast from the ray, larger than most, the blow seeming to cause damage to the glowing shield.

Lantern clenched his jaw and lowered the shield, deciding to play the girl's game. He materialized a large staff with the ring's energy, taking up a defensive stance as he faced the girl. Jazz narrowed her eyes and rushed the man, jumping up into the air, swinging her staff, which Lantern countered by blocking the blow and side-stepping where the girl would land, sweeping her legs out from under her. He didn't expect her to wrap her legs around his ankles and twist her body, making him fall to the ground as well.

They both jumped back up immediately, Jazz throwing a series of controlled punches at him, the man expertly blocking them until finally, he grabbed her wrist as one punch flew by and flipped her onto her back, pressing her back into the soggy ground bellow, rain pounding on her face as she turned her gaze up towards the man who now held her in place with a knee on her chest, Jazz realizing with despair that the man had just used the same move Robin had made in the training room to defeat her.

"Give it up kid, you can't win this." Lantern stated with a frown. Jazz stopped struggling for a moment, giving Lantern the assumption he had won, until Jazz held her arm out and aimed her ray, the blast hitting the man in the chest, sending him reeling back. Jazz scrambled up off the ground and shook out her hair which was now caked with mud as well as her clothes, but she didn't care.

"You don't know what I can do!" She shouted, leaping back into battle.

* * *

Beastboy yelled out in shock as he was thrown face first into the ground, the mud splattering against his face. He lifted his head, spitting out the clump of grass that was now stuck in-between his teeth. He stood back up and glared back at the scarlet speedster that was smirking at him. "That's a good look for you, kid." He said as he sped over and poked Beastboy's mud-covered face. The boy quickly stood up and transformed into a dog, shaking the mud off of his face.

Beast-dog turned to Flash and growled menacingly at the man, who was now holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Down, boy." He grinned. The dog barked and lunged at the man, who quickly vanished and reappeared a few feet away in the blink of an eye.

"Come on, Fido! It's like you're not even trying!" Flash said as he started to sprint around the boy, creating a vortex of flashing red wind. Beast-dog growled and transformed into a large gorilla, swinging his arms out, hitting the man in the chest as he sped around, sending him flying across the slick terrain.

He groaned and glanced up, letting out a gasp as a green tiger tackled him to the ground. Beast-tiger roared and swung a paw down, the claws scraping the ground where the Flash had been. The cat glanced around in confusion as he tried to locate the man, when he was hit in the side by a red blur, the force sending him rolling across the ground.

Flash glanced around and realized he was near a group of rocks. He smirked at the boy and bent down, gripping the rocks tightly. He hurled them at the boy, who made a high-pitched shriek and transformed into a bird, flying into the air to avoid the rocks that were being fired at him at an incredible speed. As he flew, he gradually shifted closer and closer to the man. Flash bent down once more to pick p another rock, only to glance down when he was there weren't any. "Crap." He muttered as a raptor crashed into him, biting his shoulder, making him yelp in pain.

He stood and spun around in a circle, the raptor letting go as he tried to get rid of the dizziness and the nausea he felt in the pit of his stomach. "Listen. You seem like a good group of kids, so I'll give you a break. Just hand over those kids and we'll forget about all this...probably." He muttered the last word under his breath. Beastboy stood and clenched his fist. "Why can't you give THEM a break, huh?! What did they ever do?!" He growled, realizing just how angry he was about this. He hadn't felt this kind of fury since the Terra and Slade incident.

Flash sighed. "Because they're criminals and they were harboring a dangerous ghost fugitive." Beastboy continued to glare at the man. "Well we have a half demon spawn, a cyborg AND an alien, and let's not even get started on YOUR team. So why is Danny any different? Why couldn't you listen to HIM?" Flash faltered at this. Beastboy narrowed his eyes, seeing an opportunity. He transformed into a large octopus and wrapped a tentacle around the speedster's waist, hauling him up into the air.

He tightened his grip as the man continued to squirm in his grasp. "You're making a mistake, kid!" He shouted as he tried to get his feet to reach the ground, knowing he would be able to escape if he could. The octopus said nothing as he lifted the man higher up into the air, thunder booming overhead, making it seem like the sky was splitting in two.

* * *

Sam landed on the ground, hauling Tucker up onto his feet. She turned her head to glower at the winged women that landed on the ground before them. "Cease your fighting! Please!" Sam gritted her teeth. "I'll never stop fighting, cause I know what'll happen if I do!" She yelled as she rushed forwards, Tucker right beside her. Hawkgirl gripped her mace and readied her wings. She reared back, ready to strike, but to her surprise, Sam slid right underneath her and appeared right behind her.

Before she could turn, a glowing green whip wrapped itself around her. She growled and struggled against the restraints when she felt a powerful blast knock her back. She lifted her head and saw the girl with her gloves raised, smoking purple. _Thank god for Cyborg._ Sam thought, remembering when the robot had adjusted the gloves, making them more powerful with their attacks as well as giving them the ability to shoot out purple blasts.

Tucker narrowed his eyes, yanking hard on the whip, sending Hawkgirl, who was still entangled in it, shoot forwards towards them. Sam reared back her fists and punched the woman in the gut with an upwards motion, sending her flying high into the air. Tucker released the whip, watching as the women shot high and higher into the air.

Hawkgirl growled and finally broke through the whip, spreading her wings and diving back towards the two kicks, mace crackling with energy. She aimed for the patch of grass in between the two and slammed her mace down on it, sending a shockwave through the ground, knocking the two flying in opposite directions. Sam was instantly on her feet as she raised one of her gloved hands and fired a barrage of purple blasts from her hands, each aimed straight at the winged women.

Hawkgirl raised her mace, the large weapon deflecting the blasts the girl was throwing. She didn't expect another, green, blast to come out of the trees and hit her in the side, sending her tumbling. She turned her head and saw the boy with his arm raised, a blaster on his arm still smoking from the recent blast.

She stood, shaking the gravel and dirt off and faced the two teens once again, gripping her mace tightly in anger. "Fine, yu want to do it that way?"

But she released the strong bond when she saw the stance the two teens were taking. It was protective. Protective of each other. Defensive. They didn't want to fight.

 _Most villains don't give a crap about their partners, they only look out for themselves. But these kids are different._

The two kids charged as Hawkgirl's doubts swirled around her head, ferocious demeanor gone, replaced with confusion and...concern.

* * *

Robin growled as the thrown weapon cut his arm. But he didn't care. This was a battle he would not lose. He swiped his staff at Batman's legs, the metal hitting the back of his knees, making the man crumple to the ground, receiving a kick to the face as Robin jumped over his head, hitting the man in the shoulder. Batman groaned and grabbed Robin's leg, slamming the boy into the slick ground.

Robin groaned and jumped back up, throwing a clump of small explosives at the masked man, Batman twisting his cape around to block the explosion, only to have Robin knee him in the face. Batman reeled back and grabbed the tip of Robin's cape, dragging him back, ramming his arm into the boy's chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

Robin growled and twisted his body around, sweeping his mentor's leg's out from under him. As Robin threw a series of punches at the man, a thought occurred to him.

 _Why is he fighting so lazily? It's like he's not even trying._

Batman threw a kick at the boy, hitting him in the face, sending him reeling. _Then again._ He thought as he pushed himself up off the ground, narrowly missing another blow from the man. He jumped back up onto his feet as he dodged the blows Batman was throwing. "Robin, stop. Listen to me." He tried to say, only to earn a hard blow to the face from the boy's staff.

"I don't have to listen to you anymore! Why should I listen to you if you never do the SAME!" He yelled jabbing the staff in the man's chest, hard as he spat out the last word, knocking the two back farther. Without knowing it, the two had started to drift towards the edge of the cliff as they fought, the rain making the ground soggy, slick and unstable considering the edge of the cliff was starting to crumple at the rain and the added weight.

Batman narrowed his eyes, realizing the boy wouldn't listen to him now, especially considering how angry he was, but he still had to try. Lighting lit up the sky as the rain poured down harder, black strips of hair falling into Robin's face. He threw a hard punch at the masked man's face, who to his surprise, caught it and twisted his arm around behind his back. Robin groaned as Batman knocked him onto his knees and pressed his face into the soggy ground. Robin gritted his teeth as he felt his arm start to tense from the pain. "Robin, you have to stop!" Batman shouted, only to stumble back as Robin twisted his legs, hitting the man in the shoulder.

Robin narrowed his eyes and jabbed his staff on the ground, pushing himself up, kicking Batman in the chest, sending him reeling. Robin narrowed his eyes and was about to charge when he felt a small rumbling under his feet. He whipped his head around in shock as the ground under his feet began to crumple away.

He yelled out in shock as the ground disappeared under him and he fell, only to be saved as his hand caught onto a piece of rock still attached to the ledge. He watched as the other Titans turned to glance at him, then stop their attacks entirely when they noticed what was going on. "Robin!" Starfire yelled as the ground he dearly held onto began to crack and crumple away. As the earth continued to rumble, he noticed Batman turn to look at him, fear washing over his face as he watched his son hang on for dear life. Robin groaned as he tried to pull himself up, which normally would have been easy if not for the slick ground and weak earth, but it was no use. As he fell, he saw Batman running towards the ledge, yelling out for him as he watched the boy plummet towards the churning waters below.

Batman reached the edge just as Robin crashed into the churning waters below, barely missing the sharp rocks that jutted out of the bay. He stared at the water, panic rising in his chest when he didn't see the boy resurface. He could hear the others running over, but he couldn't wait. Robin didn't have that kind of time. He took a deep breath and jumped, diving into the bay below just as a loud clap of thunder echoed across the water.

The cold water knocked the wind out of him as it swirled around him. He forced open his eyes and scanned the dark waters for Robin, but all he could see was dark, murky water swirling in all directions. He felt his lungs start to ache for air and swam back up to the surface, taking a second to gasp for breath, then diving back under as he swam through the water, continuing his search. As he felt hopelessness start to creep into his chest, he saw a flicker of green and red and instantly turned around to face it. He reached out and grabbed the boy by the waist and hauled him up to the surface, gasping for another breath as he held the unconscious boy up above the water.

He heard members of both teams calling their names, but Batman just ignored it, focusing on getting to shore. Once he felt sand below his feet, he slowed his pace, gently cradling the limp boy in his arms as he trudged out of the water, placing the boy on the sand. Placing two fingers to the boy's neck, Batman felt panic start to arise in his chest when he couldn't find a pulse.

Placing his hands to the boy's chest, Batman began to try and get the boy breathing again. Finally, after a few moments, Robin chest heaved as he hacked up a mouthful of water. Helping the boy sit up, Batman gently placed a hand on Robin's shoulder as he continued to cough and try to stop the swaying feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Members of the League and the Titans finally made their way down to the bottom of the cliff where the two resided, fighting now the last thing on their mind as they went to go check on their teammates. Robin clutched his head as he slowly turned to face his old mentor, relief obvious on the masked man's face. "Robin, you have to listen to me...I believe you." Batman finally said.

"What?" Robin asked, shocked.

"WHAT?!" everyone around them erupted at the statement made by the Dark Night. Shock flooded through them, at the statement, and the fact that it was Batman who said it. Batman simply ignored them as he stared back at Robin and repeated what he had said before. "I believe you, Robin. But I NEED more information on this kid. I need to understand everything about him. WE need it if you want our help." He explained.

Flash zoomed forward, voicing the doubts the other members of the league. "Uh, Bats? I know you have a bit of a soft spot when it comes to kids, and I mean a BIT, like barely anything, I mean..." He trailed off as he received a Bat-glare, instantly making him cower and continue. "Umm, anyway...are we really just going to turn a blind eye one everything they did?!" He shouted, incredulously.

Superman stepped forward and placed a hand on the Flash's shoulder. "What he means is, are we just going to ignore all the sound facts we have about these kids?" He asked, the other members of the league staring at the masked man, waiting for his opinion. But instead, the Titans stood forward instead.

"But that's just it. You DON"T have all the facts." Robin stated as he shakily rose to his feet, with the additional help of Starfire and Cyborg. "But we do. We've been living with them for weeks. We've heard the story. We know it all." Sam, Tucker and Jazz finally stepped forwards, ignoring the Titans as they tried to hold them back. "Please..." Sam said. "Just...let us explain. Then you'll know everything." The girl pleaded.

Superman turned back to the other members, each giving him the same uneasy look. He finally sighed and nodded. Batman stepped forwards. "Okay, We'll talk. But not here."

"What did you have in mind then?" Cyborg asked. Batman gave a rare smirk and gazed upwards.

* * *

 **Sorry if some of the League personalities are wrong. I am not as familiar with the Justice League as I am with Danny Phantom and Teen Titans. I just tried to make it as realistic as possible. HA...I even looked up fight compilations for each leaguer to make sure everything was correct.**

 **So the next chapter should be out this week, maybe next weekend...maybe tomorrow...I don't know. But Ill try and get it out as fast as I can.**

 **So...up next on The Ghostly Titan: Chapter 21: Explanations and Experiments...Will the league believe the Titans? What happens to Danny at the labs? Will the League help the Titans or restrain them?**

 **Find out next on ...**

 **THE GHOSTLY TITAN!**

 **P.S.- I added a new cover image for The Ghostly Titan. It shows Danny and Co. with their masks and their new Titan Uniforms. Just to help you visualize what they look like now. (illustration made by rayrox360)**


	21. Chapter 21: Explanations and Experiments

**Chapter 21: Explanations and Experiments**

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

The Titans gasped as they stared around the room, following the League into the center of the room. Large monitors surrounded most of the room. The vast stretches of space could be seen from the windows. The technology that stretched throughout the room seemed years ahead in advances. Cyborg was nearly drooling as he gazed lovingly at the room. He snapped his attention back as the Titans were led into the center of the room and were motioned to take a seat. Robin and the other Titans protectively sat close to Sam, Tucker and Jazz, keeping a close eye on any members of the League who wanted to try something.

The rest of the League stood in a semi-circle in front of the teens, Batman slightly in front of them.

"Alright...start talking."

* * *

 **G.I.W. Labs**

Danny slowly cracked open his eyes and was met with an assault of whiteness. He quickly sat up, which was a bad move as his head started throbbing. He wildly twisted his head back and forth, his breaths becoming more shallow and quick with every glance. He was in a sort of clear cylindrical trap that stretched all the way up to the roof. The cramped space, which probably wasn't any bigger than a small backyard pool. The whole cage seemed to be elevated from the rest of the floor, like a platform. Below it, different control panels and computers rested, with one or two agents working on them at the moment. The full room he was in was, surprise, surprise, white, devoid of any color.

He pressed his hands against the wall. It was cold, even for him. He narrowed his eyes as he was that when he pressed his hands to the wall, it started glowing a faint green. He grit his teeth and forcefully punched the glass-like material. But much to his surprise, it felt more like punching solid steel. He tried firing an ecto-blast, but it merely was absorbs by the glass. He sighed, realizing he wouldn't get far if he kept exerting his energy.

He laid down, his back presses against the cold surface below him. Suddenly, the ceiling above him shifted and moved, a large device that looked like a pointy disco ball lowered down to a point where the Ghost Boy could see it, but was still too high for him to reach it. As he was gazing confused at the device, he hadn't even noticed another agent entering the room. It wasn't until the agent started speaking to him did Danny jump out of his thoughts.

"What?" He asked. The agent growled and pressed his finger to the intercom again and repeated what he had said. "Lower your hands into the holes!" He snarled. Danny gazed at him confused. "Holes? What holes?" The exasperated agent pointed towards Danny's feet. Danny looked down and was surprised to see that two small holes had opened up in the floor. They were small with barely enough room for his hands to get in.

He narrowed his eyes as he returned his glance to the agent. "Why should I?" He growled. The agent smirked. "Glad you asked." He said as he pressed another button on the control panel and the spiky ball above the boy started to glow an eerie red. Suddenly, it felt like Danny's body was on fire. He screamed uot in agony and crumpled to the floor, writhing in agony as the fire spread out across his body. The agent finally pressed the button again and the sensation ended. Danny lay panting and shivering on the cold floor. He turned a fearful gaze to the agent.

"Wh...what was that?" He asked. "THAT is what happens when you don't listen to us. Just one of many new toys we hope to test on you." The agent said, a smile crossing his face.

Danny gulped.

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

Robin sighed and turned his gaze to the League. But before he could say anything, Jazz put a hand to his shoulder. "Maybe we should start from the beginning...the very beginning." She said. Robin hesitated, knowing the League didn't quite trust the three teens, but he nodded and gave the floor to the three of them. Sam took a deep breath.

"It all started about a year ago, give or take a couple months. Danny's parents were inventors, and it was safe to say, they were OBSESSED with ghosts. Well, they were always inventing new weapons and ghost-related things. But one day, they built something HUGE. The Ghost Portal. It was designed to rip a hole through the dimensional barriers and allow an access point to the ghost zone, a place where all ghosts reside. Well, it didn't work at first and they were so upset. So, one day after school, Danny, Tucker and I were all down in the basement, checking it out and I...I dared Danny to go in. He must have pressed something from the inside, cause all of a sudden, the portal turned on...with Danny in it. When he finally came out, we thought for sure he had died. We were only partially correct."

The League listened in silence. Tucker continued. "That accident gave Danny ghost powers. It was incredible! But at first, he had no idea what to do. Then one day, a ghost came out of the portal and Danny fought it off with his newfound powers. He realized then that he might actually be able to do something useful with his powers. Help people. Save lives. Become a real life SUPERHERO! And he did, with the help of us. Danny Fenton became Danny Phantom. Now, it was kind of difficult, from fighting ghosts 24/7 to being called a villain by the very place he was trying to protect."

Superman steppe forwards. "Why did they think he was the bad guy?" He asked. Tucker sighed. "It was just a lot of wrong place-wrong time moments. Misunderstanding after misunderstanding led to people believing he was the bad guy, when really, he was just trying to help them. Anyway, with the new portal, more and more ghosts found a way out of the ghost zone, all of which, Danny had to fight, with occasional help from us."

Jazz continued. "I eventually found out he was half-ghost with a certain ghost attack, but I decided to keep it a secret that I knew." She explained. "But why, Why didn't you tell him you knew?" Hawkgirl asked. "It wasn't my secret to tell. I wanted him to tell me when HE was ready, and eventually, he found out I knew."

Sam nodded along as they continued the story. "Anyway, everything really became serious when Pariah Dark showed up."

"Who?" The Flash asked. "Pariah Dark. He was the king of all ghosts. He was awoken from his eternal sleep, causing all the ghosts from the ghost zone to flee into our world. Pariah came to Amity, along with his army of thousands and started wreaking havoc on everything. He even sent Amity Park into the ghost zone, which explains why Amity disappeared without a trace for a couple days. Finally, Danny decided to fight him one on one with his parent's ecto-suit. The fight nearly killed him, but Danny won and restored Amity Park back to what it originally was, turning him from bad to good in the eyes of many people in the town."

The Leaguers listened in silence as the kids continued their story, with the occasional questions from some members. But while they told the story, Batman remained silent.

Sam sighed as she started telling the League about when Danny's secret was exposed. "The GIW came after him. Those guys are HORRIBLE! They put civilians in harm's way just to complete a task and they don't even seem to care about collateral damage. Anyway, we had no idea what to do, so we ran. We ran as far away as possible. It was hard, especially since the GIW were doing everything in their power to make us look like dangerous criminals. We finally ended up in Jump." She finished, knowing Robin should explain what he had thought at the time.

Robin nodded to the girl and raised his head to the league. "At first..."

* * *

 **G.I.W. Labs**

Danny slowly lowered his hands down into the two holes and jumped when he felt something clamp down in his ankles. He pulled back and saw that his hands were now cuffed at the wrists and his hands were now underneath metal gloves. As soon as the device clamped down onto his hands, he felt...weird. Like all of his ghostly energy was being muffled. Even his normal white glow died down so that he looked like a normal teenage boy.

"Anti-ghost cuffs. You aren't getting out of here, freak." The agent smirked as he walked closer to the cage, pressing a button on his way, activating the small panel on the side of one of the walls to open, just big enough for the agent to walk through. Danny stepped back as the agent continued to walk forwards, now realizing he was powerless. He pressed his back against the wall and ducked his head as the agent came face to face with him. He grabbed Danny's neck and shoved him harder into the wall. He lifted the kid up so that their eyes were even.

"About time we caught you, punk. And now that we have you..." He smirked as Danny gasped for air. "We'll never let you get away." He grinned and threw Danny to the ground, making a signal with his free hand. Danny gasped for air, taking in lungfuls, when all of a sudden, he was hauled to his feet by two more agents and roughly dragged out of the room.

"Let...go..of...me!" Danny shouted as they continued to drag him out of the room. His hope of escaping plummeted when he entered the hallway outside the door. Guards lined both sides of the large hallway, each with large guns and tasers at the ready. "We've taken every precaution, freak" The agent whispered in his ear. "Every possibility of escape..." As they passed a guarded window, Danny could see a large ghost-shield around them. "Every chance of freedom..." They stopped in front of a large grey door. "Every shred of hope...is now gone." He placed a hand on the scanner and opened the door as he finished the last statement.

Danny paled.

The room was white with steel counters, each piled high with sharp tools and various objects that were stained with different shades of greens and blacks. But what caught Danny's attention was the gleaming steel table in the middle of the room that was propped up at a diagonal so the occupant could see around the room instead of lying flat on their back. Glowing green cuffs hung limply from the corners of the table, hungrily awaiting a new victim. A large machine hung over the table that seemed to be able to be pushed back up of pulled down further, the device holding various needles and lasers, each pointed directly at different spots on the table.

"This is where you belong." The agent whispered in Danny's ear. Full-blown panic mode exploded in Danny's head as he kicked and struggled against the guards, but they stood strong. They dragged him forwards, closer and closer to the table. They roughly yanked one of his arms up and forcefully dragged it back to one of the restraints, where they proceeded to tie it, starting to do the same with his other limbs, all while Danny begged and screamed for them to stop. The agent stood in the corner of the room, a dark smile spreading across his face.

"No, NO, NOOO!"

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

 **"** At first I was just like you guys. I believed everything I was being told about them, from the media, from that agency. I thought they were criminals. But then we looked into their history. Into their past. Into their 'crimes'. We found out the truth about them." Robin explained.

"And what would that be?" Lantern asked.

"That they weren't criminals in the traditional sense. They were just heroes in a bad spot. We were still skeptical about their true intentions, so we captured them after realizing they were residing in Jump, like Batman first thought." Robin said, nodding to the Dark Night. "We heard what they had to say, about everything. We had them tell us what happened one by one, separated from each other, and all their stories were the same and they all added up. They were telling the truth. So...we helped them. We made them part of us. Titans. After the bad things that were going on around them, they needed something to go right." Robin explained.

"It was not right what happened to them." Starfire piped up. "They were called the criminals when they had done nothing wrong!" She growled as she clenched her fists, fearing for her friends. Robin placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and continued. "We knew the GIW was after them, but we didn't know much about them. So...I might have...hacked into their database. BUT...!" He shouted hurriedly when some of the Leaguers gave him disapproving looks. "But...we found out what they really were." Robin said as the other Titans stared at the Leaguers with anger flashing in their eyes at the words coming out of their mouths.

"Lowlife murders!" Cyborg spat.

"Egotistical monsters." Raven growled.

"Evil pricks!" Beastboy shouted.

"Horrible Glorbags!" Starfire yelled, cursing in her native tongue.

Robin stepped forwards. "They aren't the good guys. They're the bad. I found out what their plans for Danny were. They want to weaponize his abilities and get revenge for all the times he made fools of him. They're going to KILL him! In the most horrific way possible!" Robin shouted as he tried to convince the Leaguers. "They're going to torture him, beat him, do inhumane things to him, cause they think he IS inhuman. But he IS! Even if it's half that of a normal person, he's still human! If anything, he's a meta-human. And by doing the things they're going to do, they're breaking the Meta-Human Acts!"

Robin stopped and realized he was shouting. He sighed and lowered his head, gazing sadly at his gloves. He continued in a volume that almost made it impossible for everyone to hear, but they did. They heard every pained word.

"I...I promised him I wouldn't let them take him, that they would never hurt him again. And...and I broke it. I...I let him down. Now whatever happened to him is...is my fault." Robin whispered. He took a shaky breath, refusing to let his team or the Leaguers see him cry. He had to be strong. He HAD to be, For Danny. He was surprised when he felt hands on his shoulders. Starfire, Cyborg and the rest of the Titans had their heads bowed as they placed hands on each other.

Batman stepped forwards, much to everyone's surprise and placed a strong hand on his former apprentice's shoulder. "No. It isn't." He nodded to the rest of the stunned Leaguers to follow him into the side room. They soundlessly followed the masked man.

All was quiet in the room, nobody seemed to have anything to say. Flash finally broke the silence. "Man. Does anyone else feel like crap right now?" He sighed as he plopped down in a chair.

Wonder Women placed a hand to her forehead. "So what do we do now?" She asked.

Nobody said anything for a while once more, until a certain voice broke the silence, much to their surprise. "I think we should help them." They turned to J'onn, who was wearing his usual stoic face. "What?" Hawkgirl asked. "I believe we should help them." He restated. "I can only imagine what would have happened had you all not found me before someone else did. Who's to say they would not have done what is happening to that boy. Horrible things might have happened to me, for thing I never did just because of that I am. I can only imagine the horrors. But that boy does not have to imagine, for the exact same thing is happening to him now, because of us. Because we did not allow his friends to help him. I believe we owe it to him, because it could have just as easily happened to us."

The Leaguers sat in silence for a good while as what J'onn had said fully wrapped around their brains. Finally, Batman stood and nodded. "J'onn's right. We have to help these kids." The Leaguers stared at him, then one by one, started to stand, each signifying they were onboard. Finally, only Superman remained hesitant, not wanting to believe all the horrible things the GIW were doing. Finally, he sighed and stood, nodding his agreement.

Batman nodded and walked to the door, the others following. The Titans jumped to their feet as the League entered the room once more. They took a step back and stood slightly in front of the three newest Titans, hesitant on what the League's answer would be. Finally, Batman stepped forwards and nodded. "Alright, you have us on board. We believe you." Robin stared at him mentor in shock, realizing he had actually gotten through that thick brain of his. He shook his head and cleared is throat. But before he could say anything, Sam jumped forwards, Jazz and Tucker right at her heels.

"Please! Danny's still in trouble. We have to find him before they do anything else to him. We have no idea what's happening now. We have to do something!" She cried out. Batman turned to Robin, who gave him a nod of confirmation. Batman turned back to the League. "Alright. First things first...

We need to break Danny out of the G.I.W. Headquarters."

* * *

 **G.I.W. Labs**

Danny struggled against the restraints. He tried firing an ecto-blast, but the energy saw still being masked. He tried not to look at the tools that lined the walls and sat on the tables, but he couldn't stop his wandering eyes.

 _What does that do?_

 _Oh god! That thing looks like it hurts!_

 _And is that a CHAINSAW?!_

Suddenly, the door opened and a handful of people in gloves, medical gowns and masks waling into the room, along with several agents who just seemed to be having a good time. Danny narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth as the smirked at him. "Man, after all that time of chasing you down, we FINALLY have you." The agent that had brought him in said with a smile. The other agents around him murmured in agreement.

"You guys are wimps. Taking away my powers! What, afraid I'll mess up your suits again?! Please! You guys couldn't catch a ghost if it was living under your roof!" One of the agents took a threatening step forwards, but was dragged back. "Hold it! We'll get to play with him soon enough. THEN we'll make him pay."

Danny gulped.

Some of the agents who were holding clipboards and notes lined up one one of the far walls that was bare of any tools. People surrounded Danny, each grabbing a certain tool off of the walls or tables. Danny wiggled and squirmed once more, much to the annoyance of the agents. One of them slammed their hand down on one of the computer panels and the table sparked with electricity.

Danny screamed as the sparks danced around his body. The bolts ceased and Danny slumped from the restraints, hanging imply from the table. One of the doctors walked forwards and plunged a needle into Danny's arm, extracting some green and red blood. The agents in the corner wrote down some notes and glanced back up.

Then two agents grabbed a tool. One was a normal scalpel. The other was glowing a faint green. They sliced the normal one down the side of Danny's cheek, earning a wince from the boy. They stared at the cut and watched as it slowly started to heal, leaving nothing more than a faded scar to register that the mark was even their in the first place. Then, then raised the glowing scalpel and sliced another mark down Danny's cheek. But this time, he didn't wince. screamed. They watched as a small trickle of green blood dripped out of the cut, that didn't seem to be healing like the last one.

"What the heck was that?!" Danny grimaced as the pain decreased from a burning fire to a dim flame. "Ectoranium. And we got plenty of it." The agent sneered. He walked over to the agent controlling the computer panel and whispered something into his ear. The agent nodded and started pushing certain buttons on the panel. "Alright, lets start with the first test. Endurance."

Suddenly, a tingling sensation spread throughout Danny's body. It grew to an uncomfortable sensation, to a hot burning one. Danny screamed as the agent increased the electrical pulses that were flowing through the restraints and the table. Finally, after increasing the levels to 'fatal to normal humans', the burning started to die down. Danny panted heavily as he hung limply from the restraints, which were the only things keeping him from sliding off the table and face-planting into the ground.

Suddenly, he felt the table start to tilt as it started to become horizontal like a normal table. Danny weakly fought against the restraints, but stopped as he received another shock. Another agent grabbed a larger knife, which was also glowing a faint green, and made a deep slash on Danny's chest. He screamed as the fiery sensation returned as the agent continued to make deep slashed and cuts along the boy's body, as the people in the corner continued to take notes on everything that was happening.

"Okay...well...he bleeds." The agent smirked. The others in the room laughed. They LAUGHED! Danny clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "I wonder if he has bones." Another agent said. Danny paled. The agent gripped the knife tighter and walked over to Danny once more. Without any hesitation ,without any warming, the agent plunged the knife into Danny's shoulder, hitting the bone. Danny screamed once more as the fire spread throughout his body.

The agent turned to the others. "Yep, I can definitely feel a bone in here."

"I wonder if they break..."

Danny's eyes widened.

He screamed.


	22. Chapter 22: Finding Phantom

**Chapter 22: Finding Phantom**

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

 **10 days later**

Robin paced back and forth, glancing at the monitor every couple seconds as he passed. For days, they had been searching for the G.I.W. facility where Danny was being held. So far, they had found around 30 different locations, but they had no idea which one was holding him. He stole one last glance at the monitor and growled, slamming his fist into the table.

He sighed and placed a hand to his head, rubbing his eyes. "Working yourself to the bone isn't going to help." Robin spun around at the new voice, and calmed when he saw Batman enter the room. Robin turned back to the monitor. "I'm fine. I have to keep looking." He said, his eyes not leaving the screen. Batman walked over to one of the side panels and started punching in information.

"Robin, you should take a break. Everyone is looking. We'll find something eventually. We just have to wait." Batman explained. Robin growled. "Danny doesn't have that kind of time."

The boy sighed and took a seat next to one of he windows that overlooked the vast expanse of space. Batman took a seat next to him, neither one saying anything.

Finally, the man spoke. "Worrying yourself like this isn't going to help your friend." Robin snorted. "That never stopped you." Batman sighed. "Yeah, you know I would always do the same thing. Guess I rubbed to much off on you." Robin stayed silent for a moment, then responded. "Yeah...but you rubbed off enough for me to get by."

They stayed silent for a while, gazing at the stars. "I'm worried about him." Robin finally confessed. " What if he thinks we abandoned him? That we've forgotten about him?" Batman took a deep breath and let it out evenly. "I'm sure he doesn't think that, Robin. If you were as close as you say...he won't think that."

* * *

Cyborg growled as he scanned over the areas on the screen. "They have to be here somewhere." He muttered to himself as he tried to see what the best place would be to hold Danny. "They would probably hold him in the most secure, biggest place they have. So where is it?" He muttered to himself.

Sam walked forward and stared at the monitor next to Cyborg. The goth yawned. They hadn't gotten much sleep over the past few days, they were too focused on saving their friend. "Found anything, Cyborg?" Sam asked. The robot sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Nothing yet, Sam. The locations we have are valid places to have him, but we can't figure out which one would have him.

Sam sighed. "You don't think they would hide him in their main base, right? That would be too obvious, even for them, right?" Sam asked, then broke off as another yawn escaped her lips. Cyborg placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you should get some sleep." He said. Sam shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "No, no. I'm fine. We're too busy. I can always sleep later." She said, turning her head to study a new report from a couple days ago.

It was a news reporter interviewing a GIW agent, asking him about Danny. The agent didn't disclose anything about where they were keeping him, but he did describe how they had apprehended him and were still looking for his friends.

Sam clenched her fists, the sighed, which quickly turned into a yawn.

"We can't help Danny if we're too exhausted to even do anything." Cyborg said, then yawned, much to his surprise. "Maybe you should ALL get some sleep." Superman said as he walked into the room.

Cyborg sighed. Superman placed a hand on both of the teens' shoulders. "You guys are tired. You've barely slept. Go on. Rest." The teens nodded reluctantly and walked out of the room. Superman walked up to the monitor. There were several red bots blinking on the screen, signifying different locations where they might be located. Superman rubbed his eyes and stared at the screen.

"Where are you?"

* * *

 **G.I.W. Labs**

"Hey! Wake up!"

Danny cracked open his eyes. Everything was on its side. Or was he? He couldn't really tell. He groaned as he sat up, his body screaming at him. An agent was standing on the other side of the glass sneering at him.

 _God, what do they want now?_ Danny thought.

As he sat up, he winced as the pain returned. His jumpsuit was in tatters, torn and bloody, stained with different shades of green and red. He had stayed in ghost form the whole time he had been here, refusing to let them see him with his guard down in his human form. The enclosure he was trapped in didn't fair much better. Pools of blood stained the ground underneath him. The walls around him were splattered with his blood. Even the machine overhead was smoking from overuse.

The two holes appeared in the floor. Danny didn't even object. He was too tired and he knew what would happen if he didn't oblige. He placed his hands in the holes, wincing as he moved his broken shoulder. As he felt the metal clamp around his wrists, the energy inside him diminished as it was muffled by the anti-ghost technology.

The door to his cell opened and two agents walked in. He cried out in pain as they grabbed his shoulder and yanked him forwards. "Shut up!" One of the guards yelled as they forcefully squeezed the broken bone in his shoulder. Danny had to bite his lip to stop the cream that wanted to escape. The two agents dragged him out of the room and into the lobby. Danny tried walking, But the long gashed and slices on his legs made it unbearable.

Finally, they arrived at Grey Door, which is what Danny now called the room, which was becoming like a second cell for him. Specialists and agents were already in the room, waiting for him. They strapped him in and laid the table down flat. One of the specialists walked over and pressed a button, causing the large machine overhead to start to lower down.

Danny felt his heartbeat quicken. They hadn't used that yet on him. The specialist faced the large contraption, turning dials and pressing buttons. The machine started to glow green as it powered on. He grabbed one of the levers and pulled it down, causing a mechanical claw to shoot down and grab Danny's chest and torso, making it immobile.

"What...is this thing?" Danny asked, trying and failing to sound strong. The specialist didn't take her eyes off of the machine as she continued to adjust things. "Let's just say...it won't be a pleasant experience." She said. Danny snorted. "Like everything else has?" The woman ignored him and pressed a final combination of buttons.

The machine started to hum with life as the lights around it started to flash. Suddenly, the claw sprouted needles from the bottom. They slowly pressed into Danny's chest. Even though they were small, they were still thick. Danny groaned as they pushed into him. Suddenly, the machine started to glow an eerie green. Danny's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He screamed as the machine started to release the ectoranium. Danny was sure that if his powers weren't blocked, his scream would have turned into a ghostly wail. It hurt so much. It felt like searing hot fire was digging into his skin, melting him from the inside.

He didn't even realize that other specialists were now approaching him with different knives and scalpels, cutting into the flesh around his arms, his legs and even his chest, leaving deep, bloody gashes and slashes. As the ectoranium shocked him, they were surprised to see that when the ectoranium was in his presence, in contact with his body, his blood turned an even more concentrated shade of green. It even looked like his blood was glowing.

But Danny didn't notice. All he could focus on was the pain. The unbearable pain.

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

 _Robin wildly gazed around. He was back in the park. The Titans were fighting all around him. They were fighting G.I.W. agents...and they were losing. Robin could only stare as his team started to get overpowered by the agents. He gazed around the park, praying to find him._

 _There!_

 _Danny was fighting with his friends, battling an army of agents. Robin started running to towards the group. Suddenly, a stray blast hit Danny in the back and he collapsed to the ground, groaning._

 _"NO!" Robin shouted, running faster, but the scene didn't seem to be getting any_ _bigger. He watched in horror as some agents grabbed Sam, Tucker and Jazz and dragged them back into the faded darkness around the image._

 _Robin grit his teeth and ran faster, only to get nowhere. Danny spun around as he tried to locate his friends. He was grabbed from behind by an agent. He grunted and struggled to escape the bonds. Robin could only watch in despair as his friend broke free, but was grabbed by the ankles and fell to the ground face first. He clawed madly at the grass as he started to get dragged away._

 _He stared at Robin with desperation in his eyes. Robin was almost there. He reached out with his hand. Danny reached out as well, but just as their fingers were about to touch, Danny was dragged into the darkness, his last screams echoing throughout the park._

 _Robin spun around as he realized he couldn't hear fighting anymore. He gasped as he saw that his friends were nowhere to be seen. The park was deserted._

 _He reached up and ran his hand frantically through his hair, trying to figure out what to do next, when the image started to waver and change. The park disappeared, only to be replaced with a dark, dimly lit lab with flickering lights. He glanced around and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he saw Danny strapped down to an examination table that was propped up, letting the boy hang limply from the restraints._

 _Robin tried to run over, but was blown back. He stood back up in confusion and waked over only to pause when he was stopped. He raised his hand and found that it was pressing up against something, like an invisible wall. He narrowed his eyes and pounded against the barrier, to no effect. He glanced around, trying to find something to help break through, but found nothing._

 _He stopped moving when he was agents start to enter the room. They all walked over to Danny, sharp instruments in their hands and dark grins plastered onto their faces. Danny gazed at them with dead eyes, pain and fatigue evident in them. He grimaced as the agents started to poke and prod him with their tools, but stopped and stared when he saw Robin._

 _He gazed at the boy with despair and desperation in his eyes, the same look he had given when he was dragged away. Robin pounded on the barrier, determined to reach his friend. Danny gazed at him sadly. Robin gasped as the boy's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his whole body shuddered, then hung limp against the restraints. Robin felt his body shaking in fear as he saw the life leave his friend'd body._

 _Suddenly, the image wavered and disappeared once again, replaced by...Danny's room? Yes, it was. It was his room, but something was different. It looked old and grey. The mattress was old and sagging, the furniture was dusty and broken and the walls were peeling and cracked. Robin walked over to the wall and pulled down a picture that was still hanging._

 _It was the one of the whole team, including Sam, Tucker, Jazz and Danny. They all wore smiles on their faces. But the picture itself was dusty and wrinkled and the frame was broken and cracked. Robin gasped as the whole thing crumpled in his hands, turning to dust and blowing away, even though there was no breeze in the room._

 _Robin sighed and turned away, waling out of the room. As he turned back, he realized the door to his friend's room had an old green ribbon attached to it. He gently grabbed it and flipped it over.  
 **~Gone, but not forgotten~**_ _was written on it._

 _Suddenly, the whole room started to shake and fall apart. Robin glanced around as the ground under him started to crumble away. He yelled out in surprise as he fell through, falling deeper and deeper into darkness, the green ribbon slowly and gently floating down after him._

* * *

Robin gasped and sat up quickly. He wildly gazed around and calmed when he realized he was in the Watchtower main control room. He sighed and rubbed his face, realizing he must have fallen asleep at the table after talking with Batman. Remembering his former mentor, he looked around the room, finding that the man was nowhere to be seen, but realizing a dark blue blanket was now draped over his shoulders.

Robin gave a small smile, remembering when Batman would do the exact same thing after Robin fell asleep at his desk, whether it was staying up late doing homework, or trying to track down the bad guys.

Robin yawned and gazed at the computer

7:43 am

 _Great. Another day of torture for Danny._ Robin thought, shivering at the memory of his nightmare. He had to stop that from happening. He just had to.

* * *

Cyborg sighed. After the couple hours of sleep, he had gone back to work trying to find out just where his friends was being held. He slammed his fist down on the table, frustration bubbling to the surface. He couldn't figure it out. _Where are they hiding him?_

 _They had no facilities quite as secure and large as their main one, which was on the outskirts of the Nevada Desert, but they wouldn't hide him in their main facility. That would be too obvious._

 _Even they weren't that stupid_.

Cyborg froze at that last statement. That wasn't true. _They ARE that stupid! We've been searching in places smart people would have hid him. We haven't been looking in places idiots would hide him, which is EXACTLY what they are!_ Cyborg realized.

He punched in the information for the GIW headquarters and security cameras for the facility appeared on the screen as well as reports from recent captures.

Cyborg stood, oblivious to the chair he had been sitting in as it tilted over and crashed onto the ground in his shock. Cyborg stumbled backwards and ran out of the room, heading towards the main room. He needed...everyone.

The monitor showed a copy of a report, describing the capture of Danny as well as the tests they were performing on him.

* * *

 **G.I.W. Labs**

After a good couple minutes, the burning started to subside as the machine levels started to lower and lower. Finally, they shut it off, leaving Danny laying limply on the table, his body and blood steaming slightly. Green blood dripped down his body, onto the table, even splattering the ground below them. He slowly cracked open his eyes, gazing at the agents in the room, silently begging them to stop.

Finally, the door opened and the Commander walked over, the other agents moving out of his way as he made his way over to the table. He slowly moved the table, raising it up to the original tilt, allowing Danny to see him face to face. He grabbed one of the sharp tools on the table and walked over casually. He lightly scrapped the table with the tool, then gazed at Danny. "Listen, kid. I just want some information. You don't want me to hurt you, and I...do. So, if you just tell me what I want to know...I...won't hurt you...as much."

Danny narrowed his eyes. The man smirked and lifted the tool, letting the point hover over Danny's face. "So...where are your little friends hiding, huh?" Danny stayed silent for a moment, glaring at the agent. Finally he spoke. "I'll never tell you." He said quietly and calmly, even though he had a torrent of insults he wanted to rain down on the man. Commander calmly stared at him, then flipped the tool so that the handle was upwards, and proceeded to slam it down forcefully onto Danny's broken shoulder.

He cried out in pain as the blow hit his arm. He bit his lip and glared even harder at the agent, who had now flipped his weapon back over and was slowly carving into Danny's bloody shoulder. Danny tasted blood as he bit his lip hard, trying his best not to scream. Finally the agent stopped and looked at him again. "How about now? Ready to talk?" He said as he came face to face with the boy. Danny growled and spit the man in the face, blood mixing with saliva.

The man roughly wiped his face and raised the tool, hitting Danny right below the left side of his ribcage, the blade digging into his flesh. Danny screamed as the blade tore through his skin. The man glared at him. "Why are you protecting those kids? They don't give a crap about you! They didn't even help when we caught you! They don't care about you. Neither them, nor those Titans you think want to help you! They don't care about you! Nobody could care for a filthy creature like you!" Commander shouted, digging the blade farther into his skin.

Danny grit his teeth to stop himself from screaming again. "NO! You're wrong! They...they DO care!" He cried. The agent gave a dark laugh as he retracted the blade. "Do they? Do they really? Then why haven't they come, huh? Why haven't they helped you yet? Face it, freak. Nobody cares for you. Who could blame them? You're a freak. A monster. A disease that needs to be wiped out."

He carved one last scar into Danny's chest and face before dropping the bloody tool back onto the table and walking back to the others. As he did so, the two guards walked forwards, about to remove Danny's restraints, when the man stopped him. "NO! Leave him here. Let him hang there for a while." He said with a smirk. The other agents nodded and followed the man out of the room, shutting the door behind them, leaving a bloody and broken-bodied Danny alone.

The lights above him flickered as Danny hung from the restraints, shading the room in darkness, immediately followed by light as the lights continued to flicker. A thin trail of blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth as his head bobbed limply from his neck.

 _No. They...they do care...they do._ Danny kept repeating in his head as the blood from his wounds dripped onto the floor. He could hear his breathing in the silence of the room, the only sound in the white hellhole. "They...do care...they...do..." Danny mumbled, his words blurring together. As he repeated the statement, he started to believe it less and less, the pain from his injuries overcoming the faith he had in his friends. He felt a single tear escape as his eyes rolling into the back of his head and he lost consciousness.

"They ...do...care...th...they...don't...care..."


	23. Chapter 23: Escaping Peril

**Chapter 23: Escaping Peril**

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

"NEVADA?! HE'S BEEN IN NEVADA ALL THIS TIME?!" Robin shouted. Cyborg nodded grimly. The rest of the Titans and the Justice League had all entered the room, just as shocked as Robin as at the new information.

"I can't believe it! He's been under our noses all this time! We could have stopped it all sooner!" Robin shouted.

Cyborg's face darkened. "That's not all. They've been recording all the things they've been doing to him on file." The robot said, pulling up the file on the monitor for them to see. The paper described electrocution, dissection, bone analysis, muscle examination, blood sampling, endurance levels, reactions to ectoranium, etc. The list seemed endless, and Robin got angrier and angrier with every word he read.

The Boy Wonder rubbed his eyes, then straightened. "Alright. We know where he is. Now we can work on a plan to get him out, any way we can." He said firmly, leaving no room for arguments, not that anyone thought differently.

Starfire flew over to him. "Robin, these men will pay for what they have done to Friend Danny, correct?" She asked, doing her best to keep her anger under control. Robin took one last glance at the report on the screen and returned his gaze to Starfire. "Yes, Star. They will pay. For everything."

He turned back to the monitor and pulled up the blueprints for the GIW facility.

"Let's get started."

* * *

 **G.I.W. Labs**

Danny woke to the sound of a door opening and a fiery pain in his left shoulder. He opened his eyes slowly and saw that another specialist had entered the room and was injecting Danny's broken shoulder with a mysterious blue liquid. As the liquid was pushed out of the vial and into his body, he felt burning heat start to travel throughout him.

He groaned as he tried not to cry out in pain. _Guess their starting early._ Danny thought bitterly. Slowly, the burning ceased to a dull pain. He groaned and shifted in his restraints, which were becoming unbearably uncomfortable as they dug into his wrists and ankles from his weight.

He groaned when he saw more agents start to enter the room. But to his surprise, they didn't go straight for him. They walked over to one of the far walls of the room and began to discuss something with the other agents and specialists. Even though Danny's powers were being blocked, he still had some of his advanced senses. He closed his eyes and listened to what the agents were saying.

 _"We NEED to get him to morph back into his human form!"_

 _"Why? What would that do?"_

 _"You idiot! We need to get a sample of his mid-morph DNA. It could be the key to weaponizing his powers. With that sample, we might be able to unlock the genetic coding behind him. It is essential, without it, this is all for naught!"_

 _"FINE! FINE! it's important. But how do we get him to morph?"_

 _"Yeah. He hasn't morphed this whole time he's been here."_

 _"Then MAKE him. Fry him. Slice him. Dice him. Do whatever you have to do. We NEED that DNA sample."_

 _"With pleasure."_

Danny gulped. His heartbeat quickened as the agents broke the huddle and a few of them left the room. The remaining ones smiled darkly at him. "I don't suppose you'll willingly give us a sample of your Mid-Morph DNA, huh?" The agent asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Danny growled. The agent merely smiled. "Excellent. Guess we get to do this the fun way." The agent walked over to the table and walls that housed all of the larger scale tools. As he walked up and down along the table, like he was shopping at a grocery store, Danny felt all hope leave his body, being filled with something scarier.

Fear.

The agent finally faced him, tool in hand. It was a short stick with three long black metal spikes protruding fro the top, the tips of the spikes crackling with electricity. Danny paled, well, more like turned a paler shade of white, considering all the blood he had lost. The agent smirked at him.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

Blood-curdling screams followed shortly afterwards.

* * *

 **Route 50; 12 miles from GIW Headquarters**

Robin narrowed his eyes as he continued on the path ahead of him. They were headed towards GIW Headquarters. After 2 hours of planning what their next move would be, they finally headed out. Robin on the R-Cycle, Batman in the Batmobile, Cyborg, Sam, Tucker and Jazz in the T-Car, Flash running beside them, matching speed with them, which was more like a slow jog for him, and Superman, Wonder Woman, Starfire, Raven, Beastboy, Lantern, Hawkgirl and Manhunter in the skies.

Robin growled and continued onward, determined to get to the facility as soon as possible. He didn't want Danny to suffer any more than he had to.

Finally, after a few more minutes of driving, Robin finally saw a bright set of lights in the night. He revved his engine and sped forwards, the others doing the same. Once they were close enough, they realized the lights belonged to a set of different buildings, all surrounding a center building in the middle that towered over the others by a few stories.

There were about 7 different buildings on the outer circle, each white in color, but varying in size. The whole facility was enclosed by a large wall surrounding the place, different entryways guarded by posts. Barbed wire and bright lights were placed on the tops of the wall as well as different guards that monitored the area from atop the high wall, each with large blasters in hand, ready to fire anything that tried to break in or out, and the sky around the building seemed to have a faint green glow around it.

 _Ghost Shield_ Robin assumed. They slowed their vehicles and turned off their headlights, turning off of the road and hiding their cars and bikes in the shrubbery near the facility. Robin jumped off of his cycle and poked his head out from behind the bush. He glared at the building. The building that had his friend. He turned back around and saw that the others had arrived.

They either landed, exited their vehicles, or zoomed up. They all stopped and glanced at each other, giving small nods. "Alright, everybody remember the plan?" Superman asked. "Umm...maybe we should go over it one more time?" Beastboy said quietly. Everyone groaned, even though his question was expected. "Beastboy, it's simple." Robin said, walking forwards. "Batman, Hawkgirl, Flash, Cyborg, Starfire, Jazz and I will go into the building and find Danny while the rest of you fend off and distract the agents from the outside."

Beastboy gave him a thumbs up and a cheeky smile. Robin sighed, knowing the boy would probably forget in another five minutes. But he couldn't worry abut that now. Now he needed to focus on his friend.

They all turned and faced the brightly lit facility. Robin pulled out his bow staff and readied himself, he could feel the others behind him doing the same.

"GO!"

* * *

 **G.I.W. Labs**

Danny screamed as the spikes were stabbed into him and the electricity coursed through his body. The agent yanked the prongs out and Danny was left gasping for air as he felt his body become heavy as he hung from his restraints. The agent deactivated the device and set it back down on the table.

"All you have to do if morph for me. That's all." The agent said with a smirk. Danny glared at him, too weak to say anything. He felt warm blood slowly drip from his wounds onto the floor below. The agent merely shrugged and went back over to the table.

It had been like this for 2 hours. Danny watching as the agent picked and chose new weapons and tools to test on him, waiting until the boy cracked and morphed for him. But Danny wouldn't. He couldn't. Not if it meant letting the GIW win.

The agent walked over to one of the control panels and whispered something to the agent controlling it. The agent nodded and presses a button, turning a dial as he did so. Danny felt a familiar sensation spread along his body, starting from his restraints and moving down to the rest of his body. The tingling became burning, to unbearable fire. He screamed, which surprised him. He though for sure he had lost his voice during hour 1, when his ribs broke. Apparently not, for here he was, screaming at the top of his lungs again, which also surprised him, considering how hard it was becoming to breath.

The agent merely smiled. "Just morph and the pain will go away, probably...maybe...probably not." He muttered to himself with a smirk. When the boy didn't respond, he turned to the other agent again and made a swirling motion with his finger. The other agent nodded and twisted the dial again, the fire increasing as Danny screamed louder.

Finally, after a good 10 minutes, the agent started to get bored and motioned for the agent to kill the electricity. The burning sensation died down until finally stopping. Danny gasped and fell against his restraints, his breathing becoming ragged and unsteady. The agent walked over and grabbed an item from off of the table. Danny couldn't tell what it was until he felt something sharp being rammed into his side.

An ectoranium knife. His favorite.

He groaned as the burning sensation returned. The agent removed the knife and was pleased when he was a white ring appear around the boy's waist. Danny gasped and focused all his energy on the rings until they disappeared. The agent growled and rammed the knife in between his ribs. Danny bit his bleeding lip to stop from crying out in pain. The agent narrowed his eyes and removed the knife again, dropping it on the floor.

"You're a real pain, ya know that, kid?" The agent asked. Danny raised his head slightly and gave a weak smile. "You...re...really mean it?" He asked with mock appreciation, barely able to get the words out. The agent growled and walked over, grabbed the boy's broken and bloody shoulder and punched it as hard as he could. Danny couldn't help but scream as he felt the cracking of more bones. The agent then reared back again and punched him in the chest, right where the knife had hit, as well as where his broken ribs were located. Danny gasped as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He tasted copper as blood leaked out of the corner of his mouth.

"T...th...that ..a..all you...got...?" He whispered.

The agent wiped his bloody knuckles on a towel lying on the table and glanced back at the kid. "Not even close."

* * *

 **Outside the Facility**

They surged forwards, the guards at the posts not even registering what they were seeing before it was too late and they were blasted back or knocked out. Robin ran into one of the posts and slammed down a button, opening one of the large doors to the facility. They entered without hesitation. Now that the shock was wearing down, the agents were fighting back and getting reinforcements.

Robin growled and slammed his staff down on the first agent he saw, hitting the man in the chest, sending him tumbling backwards. He reached into his belt and threw a small explosive at a large group of agents as they surged forward, blowing them back. He ran forwards, dodging blasts from some agents while knocking out others. He took a quick glance to his side and saw that the others were fighting just as hard as he was.

Suddenly, the building doors opened and more agents came flooding out into the area, joining inn the fight.

Cyborg raised his arm, firing at anything with white as he punched agents that came to close.

Starfire flew above the grass by a few feet above their heads, firing down starbolts as the agents while dodging and blocking blasts from others. A black shield blocked one blast that would have hit the alien in the side as Raven appeared out of the ground in the form of a black raven and raised her hands, her magic enveloping the agents' guns, making them explode in their hands.

Superman flew down and grabbed one of the agents by the front of his suit. The agent stared at him in confusion. "But...but I thought you were on OUR side!" He yelled. Superman glared down at him. "That was before we realized how evil you all are!" He shouted as he threw the man down at a group of other agents, knocking them all over.

Beastboy turned into a gorilla and grabbed one of the agents by the leg, swinging him over his head and sending him flying. He roared out as a barrage of blasts hit hi in the side. He raised his arm, trying to block the blasts. Suddenly a green shield appeared in front of him as Lantern flew down a blasted the agents back.

Wonder Woman landed in front of a large group of agents. They stared at her for a moment before raising their blasters at her. She growled and flew up into the air, dodging the blasts that were coming towards her and slamming her fist into the ground at their feet, sending them flying through the air as the ground shot them upwards.

Flash zoomed by the agents, circling them for seconds then zooming off to deal with the next one, leaving them dazed and confused before passing out on the grass. One stray blast hit the speedster in the back, sending him tumbling. He groaned and raised a hand to his hand, gasping when he came face to face with a blaster, an angry agent at the end of it. Suddenly, the agent made a surprised face, and fell forwards, unconscious. The Flash glanced back to see Jazz twirling her staff. Flash winked at her and zoomed back into battle.

Manhunter flew forwards, the blasts harmlessly phasing through him, much to the confusion of the agents firing. Once in close range, Manhunter sent punches their way, sending the agents skidding across the grass from the force of the blows.

Hawkgirl flew upwards and dove back down, her mace crackling with electricity. She swung it forwards, smashing the agent gun to smithereens. He smiled nervously at her and turned tail, running in the other direction. She growled at his cowardice, then returned to battle, slamming her mace into another agent who was about to jump Sam. The girl turned and nodded her appreciation to the winged woman.

Tucker wrapped his whip around a group of agents, Sam running forwards, blasting them unconscious with her gloves. She then fired a blast right over Tucker's head, hitting the agent that was about to blast him in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards. Tucker gave her a two fingered salute and ran back into battle, grabbing his whip as he did so.

Batman threw 2 black bat-a-rangs, pinning the agents to the building. He turned and dodged a close blast, hitting the agent that had fired it with a strong punch to the bottom of the jaw, sending the agent flying backwards. He narrowed his eyes as he was that the guards that were protecting the main building were being distracted. "ROBIN!" He called. The Boy Wonder turned his head at his name. Batman nodded his head in the direction of the door. Robin nodded in understanding.

"Team 1, go!" Robin yelled, running for the door, knocking out the two occupied guards as he passed, the others close behind him, while the rest of them stayed behind, dealing with the rest of the agents. The inside was just as white as the outside, if not, whiter. Robin glanced around as he gazed at the two hallways, trying to remember the blueprints to see where the labs were.

"Left!" He yelled as he turned down the hallway. As they ran down the hallway, he noticed more and more guards as they continued.

 _We must be getting close. More guards means more precautions. Means important prisoner._ Robin thought. As he knocked out another guard, he noticed the door at the end of the hallway was glowing a faint green.

 _Ecto-shield!_ Robin ran forward and broke through the door. He gasped and stumbled backwards, Batman placing a steadying hand on his shoulder, but Robin barely felt it. The room was empty, but something definitely happened. In the middle of the room, a large, clear cylindrical cell reached from the top of the ceiling to the bottom of the platform it stood on. Green and red pools of blood stained the ground inside the cell as well as splattered the walls around it.

Robin could here Jazz and Starfire gasp behind him, no doubt the others were having similar reactions. He clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes. "He's here somewhere. We just have to find him." He said as he ran out of the room, the others following behind him. As he ran back into the hallway, he noticed a large door to the left of him. It was grey, which was weird considering everything else was white.

He placed a hand to it and realized someone was inside. He narrowed his eyes and rammed into the door, breaking it open. The sight made his stomach drop. Green and red blood was everywhere. Staining the floor, the walls, even the ceiling. A large steel examination table sat in the middle of the room, propped up at a tilt so that the victim could see around the room, tables filled with different tools, each stained with the same glowing blood. A surprised mad stood next to the table, staring at the heroes in shock, a knife in hand.

But it was the victim attached to the table that caught everyone's attention. He was wearing a black and white jumpsuit that was now in tatters. Deep gashes and slashes were marked up and down his body. His shoulder was gushing blood and seemed to be angled in an odd position, as well as the left side of hi chest, which had blood slowly seeping out. His face was scratched and scarred, the cuts dripping down his face. His snow whit hair was a mess, blood dripping offf of the ends of the tips. The only sign he was still alive was the ragged, uneven rise and fall of his chest, which seemed to be getting weaker and weaker with every moment.

It was Danny.

Robin felt his knuckles start turning white as he gripped his staff. He lunged for the man, who dropped the knife in shock. Robin slammed his staff down onto the man's shoulder and swung it again, this time, hitting the man in the head. The agent crumpled to the ground in fear as the boy continued to attack. Finally, Robin felt a firm hand grab his shoulder and pull him back. "Robin...stop. He's down." Batman said quietly.

Robin took in a few shaky breaths and nodded, shooting one last glance at the knocked out agent. He turned back to the table, where Danny hung limply from his restraints. Starfire and Jazz stood shaking, unable to say anything.

Cyborg could only stare in shock for a moment, then shook his head and rushed to his friend's side. Flash looked just as shaken up as he gazed at the bloody boy. He turned his head as he heard more agents running towards the room. He clenched his fists, anger bubbling as he zoomed out of the room to deal with them. Hawkgirl clenched her mace, fury coursing though her as she rushed after Flash, determined to make the agents pay for what they had done.

Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Jazz and Batman rushed over to Danny. "Danny? Danny, can you hear me?" Robin called. Danny slowly cracked open his eyes. They slowly drifted over to Robin. He might have imagined it, but Robin could have sworn he heard the boy say, "What took you so long?" Danny gazed at the boy for a moment longer, the let out along sigh as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Robin felt his stomach clench as he remembered his dream. Suddenly, a white ring appeared around Danny's waist, transforming him back into Danny Fenton, his would still remaining the same. Batman undid the restraints and the boy fell forward. Batman caught him and gently laid him on the ground. "Is Friend Danny okay? Oh, please tell me he is okay!" Starfire gasped as she looked at Cyborg, on the brink of tears. Cyborg could only shake his head in shock, unsure of what to say. Starfire turned her gaze away from her friend's broken body, instead, placing her arm around Jazz, who bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing.

Suddenly, Hawkgirl ran back into the room. "We have to go, now." She said, running back into the fight. Batman nodded and gently placed an arm under the boy's neck, and another under the bend in his knees, gently cradling him in his arms as he rushed out of the bloody room, the others following, wanting to leave the deadly room as quickly as possible.

They ran out of the building and saw that the others were driving the agents back. They noticed the others exiting the building and nodded their understanding as Robin gave them the signal to retreat. They ran out of the facility, some of them stopping the agents from following by blowing up the entrance they had come through, burying it in rock.

Once they reached the bushes where the vehicles were hidden they slowed and finally stopped. "So did you find h..." Lantern asked, then trailed off as Batman knelt on the ground, his arms still around the boy. "D...Danny" Sam gasped. Her body started to shake as she gazed at the broken body of her friend. She turned away, not wanting to see anymore and buried her head in Tucker's shoulder, the boy wrapping his arms around her.

"Dude..." Beastboy gasped. Raven could only stare with wide eyes. Even the Leaguers seemed shaken at the sight of the bloody boy. Batman placed a hand to the boy's neck, barely able to find a pulse. "We need to get him out of here." He said. The others nodded.

Robin tried calming down, but no matter how many deep breaths he took, he couldn't seem to calm down as he gazed at the bloody, broken body of his friend.

They had found him.

They had rescued him.

But could they still save him?

* * *

 **Man! 3 chapters in 1 day? That HAS to be a record!**

 **Anyways, please don;t hate me for leaving off on ANOTHER cliffhanger, I really don't mean to, it just...happens. So, the next chapter should be out soon, but don;t expect it to come out as soon as these three did. That was only cause of the weekend. I still have school and homework that I need to deal with, so i won't be able to work on it as much as I would like to. But at least I don't have months in between chapters like some writers.**

 **Anyway...stay tuned for chapter 24!**

 **P.S.- Maddie, Jack and Valerie will appear soon, just be patient, please!**

 **:)**


	24. Chapter 24: Uncertain Safety

**Chapter 24: Uncertain Safety**

* * *

 **The Watchtower**

 **5 days later**

Robin fiddled with the tips of his gloves, the only thing he could do that seemed to ease his nerves. He stole a glance at the bed, but quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to see his friend in the condition he was in.

5 days had passed since they had rescued Danny, and the boy still hadn't woken up, but most couldn't blame him considering how severe his injuries were. The bone in his shoulder was broken and the muscle around it was shredded. He had 5 cracked ribs, a bruised lung, a concussion, and multiple stab wounds all along his body as well as deep slashes across his chest and face.

His body was bandaged and he was hooked up to a heart monitor, the machine letting off a steady rhythm. Robin hated that sound. Hated the constant beeping of the machine. Hated how he had heard it so many times that it now sounded like a taunt.

Robin sighed and rested his head on the wall behind the chair he sat in. The chair was starting to become like a second bed to the boy, considering he had barely left the room. He raised his hands and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The Justice League had promised to deal with the media questions regarding the boy, saying they would straighten everything out. But still...Robin couldn't be too sure. He wanted everything to be straightened out before Danny woke up.

 _If he wakes up._

Robin shook his head and scolded himself for the thought. Danny WOULD wake up. He was strong. He would pull through.

He had to.

* * *

Sam woke with a start, only to feel a gentle hand touch her shoulder. Tucker gazed at her with tired eyes and gave a weak smile. "Nightmare?" He asked as Sam swung her legs off of the couch they sat on. She sighed. "Yeah, but when I open my eyes, I enter an even worse one." Tucker lowered his gaze. "Yeah..." He said.

Cyborg entered the room, Beastboy at his side, both Titans looking just as tired as everyone else. Starfire was tightly hugging her knees as she gazed sadly at the room. Even Raven seemed to be even more depressed than normal, levitating lower to the ground than usual, and Jazz simply stayed by one of the windows, absentmindedly twirling a loose strand of her hair, which hung limply against her shoulders.

Sam sighed and stared at the ground. She took no notice of the Leaguers that would occasionally walk near her. They had all stuck around the Watchtower after the rescue, none of them wanting to leave without knowing what would happen to Danny.

 _Danny..._ The name made the girl's heart throb. How had things gotten so bad? The girl couldn't figure it out. Even when they were running, at least they were together. At least they were safe, for the most part. But now, her best friend since 2nd grade was lying in a medical bed and nobody knew if he would wake up.

She felt her eyes start to burn as a tear started to form in the corner of her eye. She sniffed and angrily wiped it away. She had to remain strong, for Danny. She knew him like the back of her hand. She knew how strong he was. He would pull through. He would get past this...and everything would go back to the way it was...she just had to be patient.

But still...

...that didn't make it any easier.

Starfire pouted. "Is there any news on Friends Danny's condition?" She asked.

"Nothing yet." Said a tired voice behind them. They turned to see Robin walk through the door and quietly take a seat on the couch next to Starfire. "Robin...are you all right?" The Tameranian asked. "I'm fine, Star. Just tired like you guys." The boy said, rubbing his eyes.

Starfire moaned and fidgeted on the couch. After a couple more seconds of this, she finally gave up with a loud sigh and faced the teens. "Ohh...! I wish for him to wake now, please! Surely there is something we can do!" She cried out.

Cyborg sighed. "There's nothing we can do, Star. We just have to be patient and wait." He explained. Beastboy groaned and crossed his arms. "Yeah, well...patience isn't my strongest skill!" He groaned, plopping a seat on the floor in front of the couch. Raven looked up. "You have skills?" She deadpanned. The others chuckled. It was the first smile any of them had cracked in days.

Beastboy yawned. "When can we go home?" He asked. "When Danny gets better." Robin said firmly. He noticed Jazz silently sitting by the window, her back turned, not saying anything. Tucker and Sam were quiet as well, their eyes glued on the ground. Beastboy groaned and laid down on the ground, his arms sprawled out above his head.

Robin turned to Cyborg. "What's the word in the GIW?" He asked, forcing himself not to curse out the last word.

Cyborg snorted and gave a small smirk. "After everything the Justice League told the media about the conditions of the labs and the inhumane acts, the government shut them down. Their being sued and fined for direct violation of the Meta-Human Acts. I guess Danny being half human made them classify him as a meta rather than have him fall under the law of the Anti-Ecto Acts. Although, I'm pretty sure the Justice League helped tip the scale in his favor." Cyborg said.

Robin let out a small sigh in relief. At least things would be calm for Danny when he got better. Now that nobody was hunting him or his friends anymore, they could finally publicly announce them as Titans and they wouldn't have to wear their masks anymore. Robin closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the couch, grateful to a couple moments of peace.

Suddenly, a loud crash and shocked yelps could be heard down the hallway, along with a bright flash of light. Robin and the others quickly jumped up, the Leaguers hurriedly entering the room, excluding Flash and Superman, who were nowhere to be seen. Batman looked at the teens. "What happened?" He asked. They shrugged in confusion. Robin's eyes then widened as realization hit him, remembering where else he had seen that flash of light that seemed so familiar.

"Danny!"

* * *

 **Medical Bay**

 **5 minutes earlier**

All was quiet in the room, Robin having left a couple moments ago, the beeping of the heart monitor the only sound in the white room. Danny lay quietly in the bed, the steady rise and fall of his chest his only movements. He looked calm and peaceful, but his body told a different story. His arms were wrapped like a mummy, his left arm in a sling to adjust for his broken shoulder. Under his shirt, his chest was wrapped as well, the deep scarring under the bindings still sensitive to touch, along with his fractured ankle, which was also bound.

With long sleeves and pants, he might almost look normal if it weren't for his face. Many scars were carved into his cheek as well as a long horizontal one that stretched over the bridge of his nose and the long scar the cut dangerously close to his eye. Even with his fast healing, his injuries were still severe, the weapons used to create them being ghost-proof. They would take some time to heal, even with his powers.

As Flash and Superman walked quietly by the door, calmly conversing with each other, they saw a slight movement, causing them to stop and backtrack into the doorway of the room. They glanced at each other for a moment, then back to the boy. "Uhh...did you see him move?" Flash asked. Superman nodded, the man turning his head to look at the boy's vitals.

Suddenly, Danny's eyes flashed open and be gasped, sitting upright in a flash. He winced as he felt a deep pain in his chest, but stopped when he noticed the room. He was in a bed surrounded by white wall and machinery and ...WAIT! White walls?! Danny felt himself start to hyperventilate, not even noticing the stunned Leaguers in the corner of the room until Flash stuttered something.

Danny whirled around to face them. Fear flashed in his face as he tumbled out of the bed, adrenaline rushing through him, the pain from his injuries not even registering in his brain. Reflexively, he transformed into his ghostly form and raised his good-ish hand towards the two, firing an ecto-blast at them. They yelped in surprise and narrowly dodged the blast, which collided with the wall behind them.

Danny's eyes flashed green as he started to levitate, running definitely not an option.

"Wait!" Superman said, but it was no use, for Danny hurriedly flew out of the room and flew down the hallway as fast as his injured body would allow. As he entered the main room, dozens of heads turned to stare at him in shock. Danny felt his breath hitch as he saw more members of the League approach him. He slowly backed up in the air, eyes locked on the Leaguers as they approached slowly and warily.

Danny then felt the chilling sensation of pre-transformation. _What?!_ He thought fearfully as the last of his energy waned and he felt the familiar white rings travel up and down his body. He fell to the ground, his legs crumpling below him. He cried out as the pain from his injuries flared. He stared back at the League and twisted around on the ground and scooted backwards on his backside, his eyes darting to each member of the League as they advanced.

Danny jumped when he felt solid wall behind him, meaning he could no longer scoot backward, his breathing becoming faster and faster with every minute. His body shook with fear as memories drifted back to him of the League working with the GIW.

They were the same superheroes that stopped his friends from saving him.

The same superheroes that let the agents trap him in that hellhole.

The same superheroes that were bearing down on him now.

Danny let out a quiet whimper and shut his eyes, turning his head away from them as he shook in fear. "L...leave m..me a..a...alone..." He stuttered quietly. He felt a gently hand graze his shoulder and snapped his eyes open, jumping away from the hand, only to blink in surprise as he saw a familiar masked face.

"R...Robin...?" He whispered in confusion. He saw that the other Leaguers had backed up and he was now surrounded by the Titans, Sam, Jazz and Tucker standing alongside them. Danny turned his head to glance at all of them. "G...g...guys?"

Robin smiled as he crouched on the ground next to the boy, the others starting to do the same. Suddenly, he felt arms around him. It was Sam. Jazz and Tucker quickly doing the same. Danny hesitated for a moment, then returned the hug with his good arm, getting out a small laugh of relief. They pulled back, Danny noticing tears in the girls' eyes. "Don't scare us like that, man!" Tucker smirked. Danny gave a small smile. Robin held out his hand. Danny reached forward, hesitated for a split second, then gratefully took it, Robin gently bringing the boy up on his feet.

Starfire flew forward and wrapped her arms around him, the rest of the Titans doing the same, even Raven. Danny gave a nervous chuckle as they pulled back. Beastboy smirked at him. "Dude, you almost gave us heart attacks!" Starfire flew forward and gently grabbed Danny's good hand. "I am so pleased you are alright, Friend Danny!" She said with gleaming eyes. Danny smiled at her and turned to the rest of the group. "So WHERE are we?" He asked once more.

"The Watchtower." Batman said, walking forward.

Danny narrowed his eyes and took a hesitant step backwards, Cyborg putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder, steadying the boy's swaying stance. Danny growled and put on a brave face, even though his heart was beating a million miles a minute. Robin noticed this and jumped in front of the scared teen. "Hang on, Danny. They aren't the bad guys here." He said, only to have Danny snort in agitation. "Not from where I'm standing." Beastboy cracked a small smile. "More like 'from where you're leaning'."

They all sent him chilling glares, Raven reaching out with her magic, slapping his mouth shut, much to his annoyance. Danny turned back to the others. "Why are we here, Robin? Why are you with _them_?" He snarled.

"We explained to them what the true intentions of the Guys In White really were, and they instantly realized what they did. They _helped us_ rescue you." Robin explained. Danny bit the bottom of his lip as Robin mentioned the GIW. He never wanted to hear their names again. Danny sighed and was about to say something ,only to have Batman interject. "You don;t have to worry about the GIW anymore. They're finished. We made absolutely certain of it." Flash zoomed up and rested his elbow on Batman's shoulder, much to the Dark Knight's annoyance. "Yeah kid. We took care of it. You're free of them."

Danny's eyes widened in shock. Safe. He hadn't felt that in a while. He opened his mouth to say something, only to shake his head as a wave of dizziness struck him and he started swaying even more. Cyborg and Robin quickly steadied him. "Maybe we should sit down." Robin said.

* * *

 **3 hours later**

After hours of explanations and stories, the Titans were alone in the main room of the tower. Danny sat with Robin and Jazz on the couch, Sam and Tucker were sitting on the floor at their feet, Starfire and Raven were levitating a few feet off of the ground, and Cyborg and Beastboy were sprawled out on the floor in front of them.

"Dude, I am so ready to go HOME!" Beastboy moaned as he made movements similar to snow-angels on the floor. Danny smiled. "Yeah, I can't WAIT to get back to my room. I think I can go the rest of my life without seeing another ounce of _white_." Danny snorted. Robin chuckled and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. He knew the boy must be itching to get back home, considering he had been in such an inhospitable environment for so long.

Tucker yawned. "Yeah, the Leaguers aren't the best conversationalists. Then again, none of us had slept in days..." Tucker said, trailing off at the end as he started to fall asleep, only to yelp back awake as Sam poked him in the side.

Starfire lazily flew around the room. "I miss my adorable little Bumgorf! Oh, my Silkie! He must miss me so!" She cried, raising her clasped together hands to her heart. Danny leaned over to Robin. "Adorable?" He whispered. Robin raised a hand to his mouth to hide his snicker. Raven raised an eyebrow. No wonder Robin had taken Danny's kidnapping so hard. The two of them were like brothers. The girl felt a small smile grace her lips, the smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

Jazz scanned Danny with a keen eye, shaking her head at his injuries. "You know what this means, little brother." She said. Danny raised his head and glanced at her. "What?" He asked. Jazz smirked at him. "Means you have to rest. That means NO roughhousing, NO powers, and NO fighting." Danny stared at her as if she had gone crazy, even though he knew they all would probably say something like this, it didn't mean he had to like it. He groaned. "Oh COME ON! I'll go crazy!" He said. The other Titans laughed, knowing he was probably right.

Cyborg placed his arms over his head. "How do you think the Titans East are doing back home? Think they're having any trouble?" Robin shrugged his shoulders. "They didn't the last time they watched the city? It shouldn't be any different this time around." Danny turned to face him, along with Jazz, Sam and Tucker. "The Titans East?" He asked. Robin cocked his head to the side, then remembered they never told them about the Titans East. "Right, right. Well, the Titans East are like...another version of us. Just another group of Titans in Steel City."

"Yeah, but they could never beat the originals!" Beastboy whooped. Danny looked to the other three. "Wonder why we never encountered them in Steel City when we crossed through there." They shrugged. Sam yawned and placed her feet over Tucker's, which the Techno Geek didn't mind, considering he was only half conscious. "I think we've had one...eventful day. I'm gonna get some sleep." She said, already starting to drift off as she finished the statement. Cyborg, Tucker, Beastboy and Starfire seemed to take to her example, falling asleep almost immediately afterwards, none of them bothering to go to the rooms they had been using while in the tower, except Raven,who said her goodnights and walked out of the room.

Robin shook his head as he glanced at the snoring pile of bodies on the floor, consisting of Tucker, Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire, Sam smartly sleeping to the side. Jazz and Danny merely laughed quietly at the sight. Jazz yawned and felt herself slipping into sleep. She said goodnight and curled up at the end of the couch, resting her head on the armrest.

Danny sighed and rested his head on the edge of the couch. Robin glanced over, realizing just how tired and battered the bandaged boy seemed. "You okay?" He asked. Danny raised his head and gave a tired smile. "Just sore." He said, gently rubbing his chest. Robin lowered his gaze. "Danny...I...I'm sorry I let this happen to you. I wish we could have found you sooner. Then maybe you wouldn't be so..." Danny cut him off. "Hey, none of this is your fault. It's the GIW. They're the one and only ones to blame for this. Besides, you DID come. If you hadn't...who knows what would have happened."

"All I'm saying is that...I'm okay. A little banged up...but, I'm alive, well half alive, or maybe-ugg! You get the picture." Danny grumbled. Robin chuckled and rested his head back as well. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But Jazz is right. No crime fighting for you." Danny groaned, making Robin laugh harder, knowing he would probably react the same way.

Danny raised his head as a question popped into his mind. "Hey, you know the Commanding agent for the GIW? What happened to him? Did you ever encounter him?" Robin thought back, and smirked, remembering when he had found the Commander. He had punished him even more than the man who had been in the room with Danny when they found him. "Yeah, I found him. Let's just say he won't be messing with you anymore, and he probably won't be having kids anytime soon."

That made Danny break out into full-out laughter-something he hadn't done in a while.

* * *

 **Okay, not the MOST exciting chapter, but it does give relief to those who were begging to see what happened. Sorry for the short length, but I wanted to wrap up what happened and I didn't need much to describe it.**

 **Anyway, next chapter should be out in a couple days. By the way, I might be busy this weekend, so don't expect me to post 3 chapters in 1 day again.**

 **Have to say, Danny and Robin together is SOOO CUTE! I would love to make them a couple, but that isn't really something I want to focus on in this story, so you'll just have to settle with them being like brothers. I always imagined they would get along great, like best friends.**

 **Sorry, we're getting off topic. Stay tuned for Chapter 25: Tower Sweet Tower**


	25. Chapter 25: Tower Sweet Tower

**Chapter 25: Tower Sweet Tower**

* * *

The road rushed past before him, scenery changing every moment. Danny sighed and rested his head on the window, the cool glass pressing against his forehead.

"You okay" Cyborg asked turning his head slightly to glance towards the passenger seat. Danny nodded silently, a yawn escaping his lips. "Yeah, just ready to see the tower again." He said. Cyborg ave a small smile, only to jump as Beast boy perked his head up, placing his hands on the robot's shoulders. Cyborg gave a small yelp as the car swerved, making the occupants in the car lean to the side, then roughly jerk back.

Danny gave a small groan as his injuries flared up again. Sam shook her head, trying to clear the ringing in her ears, Tucker and Jazz merely glaring at Beast boy, Cyborg doing the same as he gazed at the changeling behind him. "Dudes! I cannot WAIT to get back! First I'm gonna play Mega-Monkeyz 4, then I'm gonna take a 3 hour nap, THEN I'm-" "Beast boy! We don't need to hear your play by play agenda!" Cyborg growled back. He shook his head. "Why did I agree to let Beast boy ride in the car?" He asked. "Because nobody else would take him." Robin said over the communicator built into the car. The Boy Wonder sped by beside then on the R-Cycle, while Starfire and Raven flew above them.

Beast boy growled at the remake. "Hey! I'm not that bad! I'm awesome. I even come with jokes! Okay, okay. What does a nosey pepper do?" He asked. Nobody answered. He frowned but continued anyway. "Get jalapeño business!"

Everyone groaned, including the ones who weren't in the car. "How much would it hurt if I jumped out of this car right now?" Danny asked, rolling his eyes. The others chuckled, Beastboy growling and sank back down into his seat.

Danny smiled slightly, then gazed back out at the rushing sights, falling back into deep thought. Cyborg glanced over, a slightly worried frown on his face.

After another half hour of unbearable jokes, several threats and at one point, a smacking contest between the changeling and the robot, which ultimately led to Danny driving for a split second, Titans Tower finally came into view, causing everyone in the car to start cheering-well, almost everyone. Danny simply gave a small smile and continued to blankly stare ahead.

Cyborg sighed in relief as he turned of the car and stepped out, breathing in the ocean air that surrounded the tower. "Awww, yeah!" He said with a grin. Danny gently grabbed the door handle and exited the car slowly and hesitantly. He stared at the tower and gave a small smile and sigh of relief. Beastboy jumped up onto Cyborg's shoulders. "FINALLY! Man, it's good to be home." He sighed. Cyborg grabbed his hands and dropped him onto the ground. Robin walked up along with Starfire and Raven. "Yep. Good to be home." Robin said as he placed an arm around Starfire, and the other around Danny.

The 9 of them linked together and stared out at the bay, the setting sun casting a warm golden light on the glistening waves below them. Then heard the sound of a door opening and turned to see Bumblebee fly out. She smiled and flew over, landing in front of them. "Hey, guys. Good to see ya." She said, shaking hands with Robin. They all turned back towards the door as the sound of bickering increased.

"You CANNOT believe that!"

"I do, and you should too!"

Speedy and Aqualad exited the tower, each fuming. They turned back to each other, continuing their pointless debate. "That's basically murder!" Aqualad growled. "Yeah, the most delicious homicide ever. Face it, seafood is delicious!" Speedy smirked. Aqualad snarled at him. "It's SICK!"

Bumblebee calmly walked over and slapped them both upside the head. They whined, rubbing their now sore heads, then walked over to the Titans. Suddenly a white and orange blur sped past them and stopped in front of them. Mas and Menos said something to each other in Spanish, then turned to face the Titans. Robin stepped forward. "Danny, Sam, Tucker, Jazz...meet the Titans East." He said. The four turned to the team. Bumblebee flew forward, then stopped when she saw Danny.

"Wait, wait, wait...! Danny? As in Danny Phantom? THAT Danny?" Said person glanced back and forth nervously. "You've...heard of me?" He asked. The others on the team walked forward. "Well duh! Almost EVERYONE knows about you! You've been blared on almost every news station for months." Speedy said. Mas and Menos sped forwards and said something excitedly in Spanish. "Sí , sí, hemos oído mucho acerca de usted y sus amigos" ( _Yes, yes, we have heard much about you and your friends_ ). Danny nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Hehe, most people have only heard the bad things." He said with a slight frown.

Bumblebee shrugged. "Almost everyone say the live broadcast of the Justice League explaining everything. They also said that Danny and his friends had joined with a new team of superheroes, but I didn't know the new members you guys talked about were the SAME people!" The girl said with a smile. She turned to Cyborg. "Why did this never come up, Sparky?" She asked with a furrowed brow. Cyborg chuckled and quickly changed the subject. "So...thanks again for watching the city while we were gone." Robin nodded. "Yeah, we're really sorry for the short notice, but we really needed to help Danny." He said.

Bumblebee nodded. "Yeah, it looks like you needed it." She said, glancing at Danny's slung arm and wrapped body. The boy sighed and averted his gaze.

* * *

They said their goodbyes to the Titans East, and continued on into the tower, each of them grateful to be back home. Most of them decided to hang in the living room, Raven deciding to meditate in her room.

As Robin sat down on the couch, humorously watching Cyborg, Beastboy and Tucker fight over a controller, Jazz and Sam by his side, he noticed Danny wasn't with them. He turned his head and saw that the boy was quietly limping out of the room. "Where you going, Danny? Don't you want to watch Sam cream the others...again?" He asked, smirking as he finished the last statement.

Danny turned back and gave him a small smile. "No thanks. I thing i'm just gonna retire to my room. Besides...I can watch Sam beat them up anytime." He said with a smirk.

"Hey!" The three boys wrestling yelled. Robin watched with mild concern as the boy left. Jazz glanced at him. "What is it?" She asked.

Robin shook his head. "Danny, he's acting..." "Acting like he was tortured for more than a week. You can't expect him to jump right back, Rob. Just give him some time." Jazz explained. Robin furrowed his brow. _But he seemed...okay last night. Was he just pretending, did he not fully realize what happened, or did something happen last night?_ Robin asked himself.

After absentmindedly watching the other Titans compete with each other on the game, which was mostly just a jumble of threats, cheers, sobs, curses, and fights, Robin finally realized his mind wouldn't let him rest until he figured out what was going up with Danny.

After Jazz reminded him dinner would be ready in a few minutes from the kitchen where the girl was preparing their meal, Robin excused himself from the room and made his way to Danny's room. He knocked on the door, waited a few moments, then softly called the boy's name when there was no answer.

Finally, the door opened a crack, an icy blue eye peeked through. Once it saw Robin, the entire door opened, revealing a tired Danny, the boy absentmindedly running his fingers over the bindings across his arm. "What is it, Rob?" He asked, walking back into the room. Robin followed slowly, as Danny walked over to his bed, silently taking a seat on the edge. "I just wanted to see if you're okay. You've been really quiet since this morning." Robin said. Danny gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I've just been tired. I didn't sleep that well last night." He turned back to gaze at the water as the last of the sun's rays ducked down behind the tall buildings in the background.

Robin furrowed his brow, knowing that wasn't it, but sighed when he remembered what Jazz had told him. He stood up. "Well, Jazz also wanted me to tell you that dinner is almost ready." Danny nodded and stood, with aid from Robin, and the two boys exited the room and made their way to the living room, where the Titans, including Raven, were now starting to get situated at the table.

Danny and Robin took their seats, signifying they could start eating. While they ate, Beastboy kept them entertained, if you could call it entertainment. Mostly, he would just tell cheesy jokes and share stories about him, or one of the other Titans, which they DIDN'T appreciate.

"Okay, okay. What do you call a fake noodle?" Once again, nobody answered him. He shrugged and continued anyway.

"An IM-PASTA!"

They all groaned, considering it was probably the 54th joke the changeling had cracked. Raven, having enough of the boy's jokes, reached out wit her magic and slammed the boy's head into his food as he began to tell another joke. The Titans around the table cracked up as Beastboy raised his face, which was now covered in mashed potatoes. Robin glanced over at Danny and frowned in worry when he saw the boy slowly twirling his fork around in his plate, barely touching his food.

"Okayyyy...On that note..." Jazz said, getting up and taking everyone's dishes and placing them into the sink. She returned to the table with a large one-tier cake and placed it down in the middle of the table. Beastboy, Cyborg, Starfire and Tucker stared at it in awe. Jazz smiled. "Thought we should celebrate being back in the tower, after being away for a while." She said. Sam smiled. "Looks great, Jazz." She said. Starfire grinned. "Oh, yes! It looks glorious!"

Jazz walked back into the kitchen for a moment, returning with plates, napkins and a long, sharp object that made Danny's eyes widen.

A knife.

Everything around him faded away, only to be replaced by white walls, agents swarming around, glowing green knives in hand as they approached with evil grins. Danny felt his breath hitch as he started shaking. Robin glanced over and stopped what he was doing when he saw Danny shaking and breathing heavily. "Danny?" He called. The others stopped and turned their heads to look at the boy. Danny stared back at them and shook his head to clear the images that were appearing before his eyes. He gave a weak smile and started to back up, the chair behind him falling over as he made his way back. He gave a nervous chuckle. "Uh...t...thanks for d...dinner. But I...I think I'm g...gonna t...turn in early." He said, his body still shaking. He turned and swiftly fled the room.

Robin started after him, but felt a gentle hand grab his arm. He turned back to see Jazz shaking her head. "Let him go, Robin. He...he just needs some time to calm down. I think he needs to be alone." She said. Cyborg nodded. "Yeah, man. Maybe all he needs is some time."

Robin sighed and sat back down. What his friends were saying made sense, but he knew they were wrong. He just knew it.

* * *

 **5 hours later**

 _Danny panted, running down the hallway as he heard the sounds of guns being charged behind him. But he didn't care, he just had to get as far away as possible. The walls around him started to turn lighter and lighter until they were a pure white. How could such a bright color turn so evil?_

 _He panted as he continued to sprint down the hallway. Suddenly, his body slammed hard against something and he fell backwards. He groaned and rubbed his forehead. He glanced up to see what he had hit and paled. A glowing green ghost shield sparked in front of him. His body started to shake as he heard footsteps grow louder behind him. He glanced around wildly, a new hallway materializing to the side._

 _He jumped to his feet and ran down the hallway. As he ran, the white walls around him started to darken. Danny glanced at them in confusion as he ran and felt his breath hitch. As he ran farther and farther down the hallway, the more the walls seemed to become splattered with ectoplasm mixed with red blood._

 _Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain flare up at the base of his back. He cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground, rolling on the ground as he tried to regain his bearings. He groaned as he opened his eyes again and found he was surrounded by agents with guns. They all gave him wicked smirks, soulless eyes hidden behind glistening black glasses._

 _He felt his body shake as he tried to control his breathing. One of the agents stepped forwards and grinned at the boy. "Welcome back, freak." He said as he pointed his gun and fired. Danny shut his eyes as he was engulfed in a blue light. He expected to feel immense pain, but when it never came, he opened his eyes and gasped._

 _He had been transported back into the experimentation room and was now strapped back into the steel table. His breathing quickened as he struggled and pulled against the restraints, but it was no use. If anything, it made their grip tighter. "No use trying. Those are inescapable." Commander said, walking out of the shadows. Danny glared at him. "I escaped them once!" He snarled. The man only laughed. "Please! You didn't escape. You were rescued. Rescued by idiots who can't see the monster you really are. But don't worry. They won't make that mistake again." He said, stepping away to reveal more figures emerging from the shadows._

 _Danny's eyes widened. "No..." He whispered as he gazed back at the 8 figures who stared at him. They looked at him with disgust written on their face._

 _"Why we ever freed a creature like you I'll never know." Sam sneered._

 _Jazz and Tucker nodded in agreement._

 _"I am ashamed for ever calling you my friend." Starfire growled. Raven narrowed her eyes in disgust, Beastboy curling his lips in a sneer. Cyborg crossed his arms and gazed at him with disdain. "You were never worth our time, our friendship._

 _"Mom and Dad were right about you." Jazz snarled. Robin walked forward, his eyes not revealing anything. Danny gazed at him in fear. "Robin...please. You have to help me. Y..you have to get me out of here! Please! You're my friends, my family! W...why are you doing this?!" He asked between sobs._

 _Robin snarled at him. "Why wouldn't we? No really! WHY wouldn't we? It's not like we actually considered you one of us. HA, I mean, when you were taken, we were ecstatic. We were finally rid of you! Don't you wonder WHY we didn't come sooner? Do you really think it was because we couldn't find you? REALLY?! You were in the most obvious place possible! No, we didn't come sooner...because we didn't want to rescue you. The only reason we did, is because we just wanted to give you some hope..."_

 _Robin gave a small smirk as he carefully picked up a needle filled with a mysterious liquid. "So that we could rip it away from you." Agents surrounded him from all sides, each with different tools and syringes. The Titans, his friends, his family, stood beside them, gazing at the scene with smirks on their faces._

 _Robin leaned close to Danny, the restrained boy gazing back at him with a look of pure terror and betrayal. "You don't belong with us. You don't belong with humans. You don't belong with ghosts. You're a freak. A mistake. A lab accident. An accident...that can be fixed." Robin said as he gazed curiously at the liquid in the needle, then back at Danny. He gave a wicked grin._

 _"I wonder what this does."_

 _Danny screamed._

* * *

Robin woke with a start, a scream echoing throughout the tower. _Danny!_ Robin thought instantly, leaping out of bed, quickly changing into his uniform. He rushed out of the room and saw the other Titans doing the same. Cyborg checked his arm. "Security systems don't detect signs of a break-in. Nothing strange got in." He said.

Robin narrowed his eyes and ran to Danny's room, the other Titans following close behind. They stopped outside Danny's closed door. Robin turned to the others. "I'm going in." He said. Jazz opened her mouth, only to have Robin cut her off. "Isolation isn't going to work Jazz, not if it's what I think it is. I need to talk to him, find out what's going on."

Jazz hesitated, then nodded her head. She would have offered to go in as well, but she knew the two boys were very close, realizing Robin might be able to coax the boy into talking or talk him off a cliff if necessary. The boy turned back to the others. "Okay, go back to bed. I'll call you guys if it's something serious. Just try and get some sleep." He said.

Beastboy sighed. "No problem." He said, yawning after finishing his statement. Cyborg turned him and pushed him down the hallway, following behind. The others did the same, Jazz turning back to Robin. "You sure about this?" She asked. Robin stared at the door. "...no. But I AM sure that something's wrong with him." He said.

"That's what I'm afraid of." She said as she turned and walked away, fear for her brother still churning in the pit of her stomach.

Robin turned back to the door and knocked. It was no shock to him when there was no answer. He opened the door and walked into the dark room. "Danny?" He called. No answer. He reached into his belt and rubbed his fingers against the small flashlight, pulling it out and turning it on. The room seemed empty. The bed was a jumbled heap of wrinkled sheets and torn pillows. Robin furrowed his brow in confusion as his light illuminated the empty bed, void of any life.

"Danny? Where are you?" He called, even though he didn't expect the boy to answer. He slowly made his way around the room, finding nothing out of the ordinary to suggest where the boy was. _He wouldn't leave...would he?_ Robin asked himself, shaking the thought out of his head. As his light scanned the room, it stopped in the cracked closet door. He narrowed his eyes slightly and walked over. He placed his hand on the door and slid it open. "Danny?" He called softly. He pushed the clothes aside and stopped when he saw a shivering boy crouched in the corner, face hidden from view. "Danny?" Robin called once more.

He carefully stepped over and crouched down next to the boy, who gave no indication he was even aware of Robin's presence. The Boy Wonder hesitated, then reached out to place a hand on Danny's shoulder, only to have the boy jerk back and gaze at him with unadulterated terror. "Stay away from me!" He cried out. Robin gazed at his face and could see the faint shine of tears sliding down the boy's face. "Danny...it's okay. It's me, Robin, remember. I'm not gonna hurt you." He said as he tried to convince the shaking boy.

But nothing worked, for the boy seemed to be in a state of panic, his eyes playing tricks on him as he tried to comprehend where he was. Robin heard him mumbling things under his breath. "Freak...lab accident...nothing...no..hope...nothing...no..escape...more..tests...nothing..." He whispered, moments from his dream replaying over and over again.

Robin sighed and took a seat next to the shivering boy, gazing at him sadly as he tried to convince him of where he was and who he was with. After a few minutes, Robin saw the boy blink a few times and stare at him. "R...Ro..Robin?" He whispered. He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, Danny. It's me." He said, briefly hugging the boy as he returned back to reality. Danny pulled back slowly and stared at him. Robin gave him a confused look. "What happened?" He asked gently. Danny turned away, raven hair falling into his face, hiding his eyes. Robin placed a hand on his shoulder once again. "You can tell me, Danny. You know that, right?" He asked softly.

Danny sighed. "Just...another nightmare." He said softly. "Another?" Robin repeated with confusion. Danny nodded. "Last night...was my first one." He explained. Robin lowered his gaze. "Is that why you seemed...distant?" Danny shrugged Robin taking that as a yes. The Boy Wonder sighed and got up, extending a hand of Danny, who accepted as he was gently hauled to his feet.

Both boys walked over to the large window overlooking the bay. Danny took a seat on the large windowsill that was big enough for someone to lay down, Robin taking a seat a few feet away on the ledge.

"The nightmares, they're about the labs, aren't they?" Robin asked, already knowing the answer. As expected, Danny nodded. "Look, Danny. I know what they did was horrible, but you have to believe me when I say we'll never let them hurt you again. You just have to trust me on that." He said. Danny clenched his fists. "Trust you?! Why should I trust you?! For all I know, you WANTED them to take me! You guys were probably so happy when they did, finally rid of me!" Danny yelled, words from his dream worming their way into his mind. "Why wouldn't you be happy?! I'm NOTHING to you! Just a freak! A lab accident! That's ALL I am! An ACCIDENT!" He shook, his nails digging into the palms of his hand as he clenched his fists. "My parents know it, those agents know, you know it, and deep down..." He trailed off, his head resting on the cold glass of the window. "...I know it."

Robin stared shocked at the boy. "Danny...you can't really believe that.." He said. Danny turned away and shut hi eyes tightly, trying not to let any more tears escape. Robin's eyes widened in realization. "That's what the dreams have been about, haven't they?" He asked. Danny hesitated, then gave a slight nod. "I...I finally put everything in perspective after that dream yesterday. I finally registered everything. It all started to rush back to me...everything..." He said, trailing off.

Robin sighed and turned to the boy. "Danny, I need you to listen. Whatever you've heard, whatever you think, whatever those monsters told you, you HAVE to forget it cause it's not true. None of it. We DO care for you because you ARE one of us. We wouldn't have risked so much turning to the League, busting into a government building if we thought otherwise. You're as big a part of this family as any of the other Titans, and they would all say the same thing." He said, placing a hand on the boy's goof shoulder.

"I don't care what those agents think, I don't care what the League thinks, I don't care what your parents think, or the media, or the frikkin' world thinks. You're a Titan through and through. You've proven it time and time again, no matter what anybody says. Everyone in this tower thinks it Danny. Everyone. They all love you just as much as they love each other, cause you're part of our family of misfits." He said with a smile.

"You may think you're an accident, and you know what? You're right. You are an accident." Danny turned to face him, but Robin kept smiling. "But you know what? There ARE such things as happy accidents. And Danny? You are the PRIME example of this! You might just be the best darn accident ever! If I, or anyone in this tower could go back in time, none of us would stop that accident from happening, cause it brought you to us. You and Sam, tucker and Jazz. That accident increased out family. So, that's a pretty good accident in my book." He said with a smirk.

Danny glanced back at the moonlit waters below. After a few minutes of silence between the two, Danny finally spoke. "That was pretty cheesy, Rob. I thought you wanted to cheer me up, not make me throw up." He said, smirking at the boy. Robin glared at him playfully. "I thought it was pretty good, thank you very much! Lets see you give a pep talk at 2 am!"

They both laughed, the dark mood lifting in the room. The two boys talked for a while, both missing their early-morning talks. Finally after a while, Danny started to drift off. Robin gave a small smile, and stood up. He walked over to Danny's bed, grabbed one of the sheets and draped it over the sleeping boy's shoulders. He sighed in relief and started walking to the door, relieved he now knew the problem at hand and could now work to help resolve the anxiety with the boy. He smiled, happy to have his best friend back.

* * *

Cyborg glanced back at the others in panic from his position at the door. "He's coming! Scatter!" He whispered loudly.

The eavesdropping Titans all ran back the way they came, leaving the hallway empty as Robin opened the door and exited.

The Titans all poking their heads out from around the corner, watching as the boy walked away. "If you're trying to hide the fact that you were eavesdropping, you guys aren't doing a very good job at it." Robin said. The Titans all gasped and ducked their heads back, each either flying or sprinting back to their rooms to escape their leader's wrath.

Robin gave a small smirk and chuckled slightly. He hadn't been trained by the World's Greatest Detective for nothing. "Just wait till training tomorrow." He laughed to himself as he walked back to his bedroom,


	26. Chapter 26: Almost There

**Chapter 26: Almost There**

* * *

 _ **2 weeks later**_

Danny typed in a system of different commands into the control panel, causing the course to continue with it's training. HE glanced up slightly at the Titans as they practiced, then went back to making sure the course ran smoothly. He glanced at his watch as the alarm quietly went off. He pressed a few more commands into the computer and the course slowly sank back down into the floor, signalling they had finished.

Danny walked over to the bench and threw Robin a towel and water as he walked over. "Man, you're pretty good with that thing." He said, taking a few chugs of water as he finished. Danny chuckled. "Don't want to make it too easy for you guys." Robin snorted. "Yeah, that's certainly not a problem." He said, taking another drink, then quickly putting it down as a reminder popped into his head. "Oh, I forgot to ask! How was your session with Jazz today? He asked.

Danny smiled. "It was good. The nightmares have gotten less frequent and I haven't had any panic attacks in a while." He said. Robin smiled as well and placed an arm around the boy. "That's great Danny. But you're still off from fighting." He added quickly. Danny groaned and pouted slightly. "But I'm all good! Well, except for my shoulder, but even that's almost there!" He complained. And it was true. Even with his quick healing, it had taken longer than usual for his wounds to heal, especially his shoulder, which had been hurt the worst. But the wounds around his body had now healed, scars the only indication they were there in the first place, and his shoulder was almost completely healed. He didn't even need his sling anymore.

Robin shook his head. "You still need a few more days for it to fully heal. I don't want to make it worse." He explained. Danny grumbled something under his breath. Robin jerked his head towards him. "What was that?" He asked with a smirk. Danny grinned at him. "I said you enjoy this too much, you jerk!" He said, throwing the towel into his face. Robin growled at the boy, wrapping his arm around his neck and pulling him in, scruffing up his hair, which he knew the boy hated.

Danny growled and tried pulling away. The other Titans watched the scene from the other side of the room. "Oh, it is most adorable the relationship of brothers Danny and Robin do share!" Starfire said, hands clasped over her heart as she smiled. Beastboy laughed. "Yeah, now we have someone to balance out Robin's craziness." He said, his body still sore from the training Robin had given them 2 weeks ago.

Raven, Sam and Cyborg turned to Jazz, the others still giggling at the boys. "So, Danny's getting better?" Sam asked the girl. Jazz nodded. "His trust issues are still there, but they're getting better everyday. He's finally starting to act like himself. Sharp, metal objects still make him nervous, and he has adapted a nervous habit. Whenever he's uncomfortable or scared in any way, he starts rubbing his wrists in the same place the restraints were." She explained. "I'm pretty sure that's something I won't be able to break, but other than that, he really is starting to come around." She explained with a smile.

Cyborg smiled. "Great. I was worried for a while. He would go into panic attacks whenever he saw something sharp and metallic." He said. Raven nodded. "But that's to be expected, isn't it? I mean, we'll never be able to fully understand what they did to him." She explained. Sam stepped forward. "But now, we can all move to get past it, right?" She asked Jazz. The girl nodded with a smile as she glanced back over at the boys who were now starting to walk over.

Danny glared at Robin as he finished off smoothing out his now ruffled hair. Cyborg smiled at the group. "Alright! 12:35! Time for lunch!" He shouted, Beastboy jumping with excitement next to him. Robin rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. what do you guys want?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"PIZZA!" The two boys shouted.

Robin chuckled and nodded. The boys yelled and whooped and raced out the door. The others laughed as they followed slowly behind. "Got to admit. I've never met anyone who loves food as much as I do, let alone 2 people." Tucker stated. Danny laughed. "Yeah, I'm afraid to ask how many pizzas you guys have eaten." He said. Raven groaned. "You don't want to know."

* * *

 **Downtown Jump City**

Maddie fiddled with her fingers as she stared at the table. Jack glanced over at her. "Maddie, you need to relax. Everything's going to be okay." He tried to reassure the woman. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "We don't know that, Jack. We haven't spoken to either of them in at least a month. Danny's probably terrified of us and Jazz probably won't even look at us." She said.

Ever since they had found out their kids were in Jump, they had worked extra hard in finding them, and when they heard on the news from the League that they had joined up with a team of superheroes, it didn't take them long to realize that they had joined the Titans. Since then, they had being trying to figure out how to contact their kids. They realized they would have to go to them, seeing as their kids probably wouldn't come to them.

She let a small smile creep onto her face as she remembered when she had seen the broadcast.

 _*Flashback*_

 _Maddie sat in the back of the RV, staring at a map of Jump City. Multiple "x's" littered the paper, some more forcefully drawn than others. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out where the kids might be hiding. She groaned and threw the map aside, pinching the bridge of her nose. Jack turned around and glanced at her. "Maddie, I think you should take a break. You've been at this for a while." He said. Maddie sighed and rested her head on the walls of the R.V. She groaned and placed her head in her hands, realizing just how tired she really was._

 _She nodded and maneuvered her way into the passenger seat. The parked R.V. sat next to an old warehouse, seeing as they wouldn't be able to search properly until morning. Jack yawned as he turned to her. "We've searched most of the city. Where else could they be?" He asked._

 _Maddie shook her head in confusion as she stared out the window. Jack reached back and grabbed the Fenton Finder. He remembered when it had turned on, signifying it had locked onto Danny's signature. It still hadn't turned on since then. He sighed. "Madds, maybe they aren't there. I mean, this thing could have glitched and malfunctioned, like usual. They might be gone." He said._

 _Maddie scrunched her eyes, not wanting to believe it, but knowing it might be true. She sighed and stared at the ground. Suddenly, the screens around the R.V. started flashing. Maddie stared around in confusion. The screens then turned on to a breaking news story. Maddie glanced at her husband in confusion, then remembered he had recently programmed the screens to instantly turn on with breaking news stories, in case they had any information on their kids._

 _They glanced at each other, then turned to the screens._

 _"This is Melissa Rant with Channel 6, here with breaking news. We have here members of the Justice League Batman and Superman here with news they say will clear much up on the Fenton/Phantom story." The reporter said, the camera panning to the two members of the League._

 _Superman stepped forward. "As many of you have now know, Daniel Fenton also known as Danny Phantom and companions, Samantha Manson, Tucker Foley, and Jasmine Fenton have been on the run for a while now. You also know of our partnership with the Guys in White. Well, we are here to explain that we have broken away from the GIW and have now put them behind bars." He said._

 _Maddie stared at the screen in confusion. She turned to her husband, who merely shrugged. Then turned back to the screen, where Batman was now talking._

 _"-realized what they were really doing. They apprehended Daniel not to long ago from Jump City, and preformed inhumane acts on the boy. The Justice League was able to save the boy when we realized what the GIW really was, thanks to a group of superheroes Danny and co. ended up joining. Afterwards, they explained to us that all the 'crimes' Daniel had committed were really just misunderstandings and stories made up by the GIW to destroy his name."_

 _Superman stepped forward once more. "We understand now, and we need the rest of the nation to understand as well. Danny Fenton, or Phantom, or whatever you want to call him...is not a criminal. Him nor his companions deserved the things they have gone through these past months. From this point forward, Daniel Fenton and friends are to be left alone. Anybody who wishes to harm them will have to go through us." He stated firmly._

 _"Danny and co. have now found a place among a group of teenage superheroes where the League is sure they will be secure, although, we will be watching closely." Batman stated._

 _The camera panned back to the reporter. "There you have it folks. Daniel Fenton and co. are NOT the criminals they have been made out to be. This is Melissa Rant, Channel 6 news." The screens returned to their normal black. Maddie turned to Jack, each giving the other the same look. They then turned to the street, where a bright glowing T-shaped tower could be seen out over the bay._

 _*End Flashback*_

It hadn't been hard to decipher that the team of superhero teens her kids had joined were none other than the Teen Titans. After that, the two had worked on figuring out how to get to their kids and explain everything to them without having them freak out. But Maddie was pretty sure them freaking out was inevitable.

Jack nudged Maddie out of her thoughts as the waiter dropped off their food. Jack instantly dived into his plate, but Maddie continued to stare at the table in front of her. "Jack..." She called. The man paused mid-bite and looked at her. "Yeah?" He asked. She took a deep breath. "I think we should do it. I think it's time to go see our kids." She said. Jack put his fork down and stared off at the other tables as he thought about it.

Finally, he nodded his head. "Okay, but we'll need a day or two to figure out what we're really going to say to them. We can't exactly walk in there without a sure-fire plan." He said. Maddie nodded her head in agreement. "Oh, Jack. I want to see them so bad. I've been away from them for too long." She sighed. Jack placed his hand on top of hers. "I know, Madds. I know." He said.

Maddie felt a small smile grace her lips. She looked away from the man and stared back out at the bay, the T-shaped tower standing still against the clear blue water. Hang on kids. We're coming.

* * *

 **Redwood Motel**

 **125 miles from Jump City**

Valerie sighed as she placed her arms over her head as she lay on the bed. She was trying not to think about what might be lying under the covers of the mattress, but so far, she was failing at it. She jumped up with a shriek as she felt something graze her arm. She glanced at the bed for a moment longer and shuddered.

She sighed and walked over the the chair next to the window, hoping it was at least more suitable than the bed, which she was pretty sure had growled at her a few minutes back. She stared out the window of the motel which overlooked the desert she had been travelling through for a few days. She pulled out a map from her backpack and saw that she was coming close to Jump. She would probably get to Jump in around a day or two.

She bit her lip as she thought back to the news broadcast she had seen of the League members explaining everything. _Does he really need me?_ She asked herself. She shook the thoughts from her head _. Even if he doesn't, I still want to see him, to explain that he doesn't have to be scared of me anymore._

She sighed as memories of hunting her friends drifted back into her mind. Ignoring his pleas that he was good as she shot at him. She shuddered at the horrid memories. "I have to find you, Danny. I have to talk to you again." She said to nobody in particular. She was broken from her thoughts as her stomach started to rumble. She groaned. If the beds at the motel growled at you, she hated to think of what the food did.

"Ugg, maybe I can just sleep this hunger off." She said aloud to herself as she got up from the chair, only to jump back as she saw something shift under the covers. "Okay...maybe I'll just sleep here." She said, realizing she should probably stop talking to herself. She reached into her back, pulling out the credit card her father had given her when she had returned to her apartment for a few minutes to gather supplies before leaving Amity.

She could probably get food in Jump tomorrow, but for now, she really wanted to sleep. The light above her head crackled and went dead. She sighed. Correction. She wanted to sleep in a suitable environment. She muttered something under her breath and curled up in the chair.

The thought of seeing her friend again brought a small smile to her face as she fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

 **Jump City**

 **The Pizza Shack**

As the two pizzas were set on the table, one being half veggie and half meat lovers and the other plain cheese and pepperoni, 9 hands shot out towards the middle, each grabbing a certain slice of pizza. Beastboy and Sam shared the veggie pizza together, Cyborg and Tucker the meat lover, and the others the cheese and pepperoni, Starfire washing hers down with a large tub of mustard.

Danny watched with a confused look as Starfire placed a straw into the yellow container and started drinking it was if it were water. He leaned towards Robin. "Uhh..." Robin snickered. "It's normal. Have you really never noticed what she drinks?" He whispered to the shocked boy. "I always thought it was lemonade!" He whispered back. Robin snorted, Danny proceeding to punch him in the shoulder.

Suddenly, a large explosion shook the ground as smoke was seen from behind one of the buildings in the distance. The Titans stood automatically, then paused as they glanced back at Danny. He sighed and shook them off. "Go on. Take em' down." A smirk passed his lips. "But you guys better hurry back, cause I'm pretty hungry and there's no telling how much pizza will be left when you come back."

Beastboy, Cyborg and Tucker all gave him horrified looks and took off. The others merely sighed at their antics and quickly followed. Robin hesitated and glanced back. Danny threw a balled-up napkin at him and gave him a smirk. "Go. Kick their butts for me." He said. Robin gave him a two-fingered salute and took off. \

Danny sighed and stared back at the pizzas, suddenly feeling alone as he sat at the table meant for 10. He took a small bite out of the pizza he held in his hands and put it down, his appetite dissolving.

A little after an hour passed, and Danny realized they probably weren't coming back anytime soon. He asked the waiter for some boxes and started packing up the now cold pizza slices, making his way towards the street, heading back to the tower where he would await his friends return...again.

As he walked down the street, boxes in hand, he realized some people he passed glancing back and whispering excitedly. He gave them confused glances and shrugged, continuing on his way. It wasn't until one group stopped him on the street that he realized what was going on. "Hi, so sorry to bother you, but do you thing you could take a picture with us?" A teenage girl asked excitedly, her friends buzzing around her. Danny gave her a confused glance, then remembered the Justice League had " _fixed_ " everything, whatever that meant. Danny sighed, guessing this was one of the consequences of being revealed as a "superhero".

"Umm, sure I guess..." He said. he girls squealed in delight and quickly snapped a picture, the flash making Danny wince. The girl that had asked the question turned back to him. "What's it like?" She asked. Danny tilted his head. "What's what like?" He asked. The girl rolled her eyes. 'What's it like being a ghost?" She clarified. Danny shrugged. "Technically, I'm half ghost. But, it's fine, I guess. Kind of cold." He shrugged. The girls giggled, making Danny roll his eyes.

"We all heard about what happened to you with those jerky agents at the GUW." She said. "GIW." Danny corrected. The girl shrugged. "Whatever, anyway. That sounds really awful. It must have totally sucked."

Danny lowered his gaze. "Yeah, it sucked." He said quietly, rubbing his wrists. "Um, listen. I...got to go." He said quickly, wanting to escape from their stares. He ignored their whines as he quickly turned on his heel and started quickly walking away towards Titans Tower. He didn't stop walking until he finally made his way to the inhabited island.

He sighed in relief and started walking towards the large doors, only to stop as he heard something shift on the rocks. He paused and turned back, walking forward slowly to the edge of the rocky outcrop. Nothing moved except for the gentle waves that licked at the rocks below. He narrowed his eyes and turned back, only to gasp at what he saw.

A dozen or so robots blocked his path. They were in black uniforms, void of any other color except for an orange circle in the middle of their faces. Danny narrowed his eyes and gently placed the boxes on the floor, slowly sliding them with his foot into one of the nearby bushes. "Sorry, Robin." He said as he transformed into Phantom for the first time in 2 weeks. He glared at the robots as he clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the ghostly energy swirling through his veins once more. "Rest will have to wait."

As the robots slowly crept forward, Danny felt a small grin spread across his face. "Guess we'll just have to skip to the part where I kick your butts!"

* * *

 **Uptown Jump City**

Robin narrowed his eyes as he slammed his staff down on the last of the robots. It fell to the ground with a thud, joining the other bodies that littered the floor. He stared around the room of the museum. Different robots were scattered around the room, the other Titans glancing around to make sure there weren't anymore.

Cyborg walked over, scratching his head. "Okay...so what did they want here?" He asked, glancing around the room. Most of the expensive artifacts and jewls lay untouched. Robin scanned the room until his eyes fell upon a case that had been smashed open, the insides empty. He walked over to the case and glanced sown at the description of what had laid there.

"The Ark Amulet..." Robin read. "Holder of a gem lost to time..." He glanced back at the other Titans in confusion. They shrugged their shoulders. Robin glanced back at the case and scanned the picture plastered onto the side of the description. It was a golden amulet, about the size of a fist, connected by a golden chain. An eight pointed star was engraved into the surface of the amulet, and a large hole rested in the middle of the piece, seeming to have held something at one point.

Beastboy glanced at the robots around them. "Guess Slade really is back." He said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Robin narrowed his eyes. "I don't know. Strange artifacts aren't really his thing." He said. The battle had been longer than they had anticipated. It had started off as a normal battle, fighting off against Cinderblock in Downtown Jump. But after finishing up with him, they had gotten an alert saying there had been a break-in at the museum, where they came face to face with a horde of Slade-bots.

Starfire flew over to the silent boy. "Robin?" She called. He glanced back up at her. "It's okay, Star. Just thinking." He said, glancing back up at the rest of the team. "Lets get back to the tower. Raven, you're an expert with strange artifacts. See if you can figure out anything about this...Ark Amulet in any of your books." He said. Raven nodded in understanding.

Tucker stepped forward. "Uh, don't know if you've forgotten...but Danny's still waiting for us." He said. Robin shook his head. "Judging by how long we were gone, he's probably headed back to the tower, which is where we should be going as well." He said. Suddenly, they heard a distant boom. THey ran outside and saw a trail of smoke rising into the sky. Beastboy sighed in annoyance. "Seriously?! Can't these villains take a break? I want to go back home!" He grumbled. Cyborg narrowed his eyes as he stared at where the blast had come from. "Well, guess you get your wish, BB, cause that blast came from Titans Tower!"

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Titans, GO!"

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

Danny growled as he dodged the blasts from the robots, flying through the air. He dove towards the nearest group of animatronics, charging a large ecto-blast as he did so. He reared back and hurled it at the mass, sending them flying in different directions.

He landed quickly on the ground, freezing the ground around the robots. As they tried getting a foothold, Danny flew forward, ramming his fist through the head of one of the robots, sending it crashing back into the others.

"So...you all are Slade-bots? I thought you would be more, I don't know...scary?" He said, only to yelp as a beam flew over his head, missing by mere inches. "Of course, you CAN have your moments." He said, flying back into the air, shooting a barrage of ecto-blasts at the robots, most hitting their desired targets. They pulled out small handheld blasters and fired upon the ghost boy.

Danny flew back down, avoiding the multiple beams as he drew closer and closer to the robots. Suddenly, the metal on one of the animatronics glinted in the setting sun. Danny faltered as images flashed through his head. Hot metal...cold steel...rusty tools... He shut his eyes and shook his head, ridding himself of the horrid thoughts. The robots took advantage from his falter as on of the blasts hit him in the chest, knocking him back as he skidded against the ground. He groaned as he rotated his arm, trying to rid his shoulder of the slight pain.

His eyes widened as another group of robots charged at him. He gasped and turned himself intangible, silently thanking his ghost powers as the robots passed through him, crashing into the rocks behind. He quickly jumped up, encasing another group in ice as he charged up his hand with green energy, smashing the ice into a million pieces.

He raised his arms, energy swirling around his fingertips, about to shoot it out at the robots, when his attack came to a screeching halt as his name was called. "DANNY!" He turned in confusion, only to be blasted in the chest and sent hurtling back, right at the feet of Robin and the other Titans, who quickly jumped into action.

Robin placed his hands under the boy's arms and hoisted him up. "What happened to NO FIGHTING, Danny?!" Robin yelled. Danny glared at him. "What was I supposed to do? Give a rain check?! _Oh, so sorry fellas. We'll have to reschedule! I'm not supposed to fight for another few days, but I'm sure I can pencil you in then!"_ He yelled in exasperation, flying back into battle before Robin could say anymore. The Boy Wonder sighed and rolled his eyes. "Man, am I really THAT bad?" He asked to nobody in particular.

"YES!" The other Titans all screamed back as they continued to fight against the robots. Robin groaned and pulled out his staff, jumping into battle alongside the others.

It didn't take long.

Considering Danny took out more than half of the robots by himself, the Titans really just wrapped everything up. Finally, the dust settled. Dozens of robots scattered the rocky terrain, much like the scene back at the museum. Danny sighed in relief as he transformed back into Fenton, pleased that he had been able to handle the fighting without much trouble.

Danny turned back to the Titans, his eyes widening as he remembered something. He ran over to one of the nearby bushes and pulled out the box of pizzas, tossing it to Beastboy and Cyborg. They opened it and squealed, running into the house, Tucker right by their side. He turned back to Robin, who stood next to Jazz and the other Titans. "What did I tell ya?! Told you I could handle it." He said, crossing his arms in the process. Robin narrowed his eyes. "Yeah...I guess. But I still think you should take it easy..." He paused as Danny whimpered and gave him a pathetic puppy-dog stare. Robin hesitated, then sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You'll take it easy?" He asked.

Danny nodded.

"You won't overdo it?"

He nodded again.

Robin sighed once more. "Fine. BUT you still have to have your sessions with Jazz for a little while longer." He said.

Danny nodded, the incident with the flashing metal still in the back of his head, but right now he didn't care. He whooped and transformed into Phantom, flying into the air at high speeds as he zoomed through the air. Robin growled and cupped his hands to his mouth. "THAT'S NOT TAKING IT EASY!"

Danny's laughs echoed across the water.

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

Slade watched the video, taken from the robots as they fought Danny. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the boy battle the robots. Even though his plan to get rid of the boy had failed, he knew a child with that much power might be a use to him.

"He's strong. Even after the GIW." He said to himself as he watched the video. The Slade-bots had been sent to the tower to test the boy's skills without others to back him up as usual. And as Slade predicted, the boy could hold his own. The sound of a door opening made him turn. Plasmius entered, a smirk on his face.

"We got it." He said, placing the Ark Amulet down on the table. Slade grinned behind his mask as he picked up the amulet and twirled in in the air, inspecting every inch of the golden piece. He turned back to Vlad. "Excellent. Now, we can begin Phase 2." He said, placing the artifact back down onto the table.

Vlad nodded, but narrowed his eyes at the man. "Fine, but it will take some time to track the gem down. After all, it's one of the most securely guarded items in all of the Ghost Zone." Slade turned away and picked up the book, flipping to the page he had marked. "Time is of no issue to me. We've waited this long. Why not a little longer?"

He studied the page, the Gem of Zith and the Ark Amulet shown fitting together, the gem securing into the hole in the center of the amulet. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the black and red gem. _The Gem of Zith and the Ark Amulet power each other. Without the Ark Amulet, the Gem of Zith is merely a pretty jewel. Combined, they give the user the untold power of every ghost who ever wielded the gem before him/her._ Slade's gaze scanned the rest of the page until his eyes fell upon one sentence at the bottom of the weathered page.

 _Unlimited power_

"Soon, everything will fall into place."

* * *

 **Hey guys!**

 **Once again, not the MOST exciting chapter, but ya know, you can't have an earth-shattering scene every chapter, so BITE ME! Just kidding...hehehe *cough* *couch***

 **...anywayyy...I decided to incorporate Jack, Maddie and Valerie into this chapter because I didn't feel like making a whole interlude for them, but I still wanted to show what was happening with them.**

 **They'll be a BIG part of the next chapter, so stay tuned. Also, I added Slade and Vlad to this chapter, just in case some of you were wondering what was happening with that. So, what are they planning now? What do you think?**

 **P.S.-the Gem of Zith is NOT the gem Freakshow used, although that was a good guess. So, what do you think it does, leave a comment if you want to guess. It'll be fun to see what you guys think.**

 **By the way, Dani WILL come into this story, don't worry. She'll come. I always enjoyed her in the show. Just be patient. Anyway, the next chapter should be out soon, probably before the end of the week.**

 **So, how will Danny and the Titans feel when Jack and Maddie drop by? How about when Valerie crashes the reunion as well? Find out in the next segment of The Ghostly Titan, Chapter 27: Family Affairs!**


	27. Chapter 27: Family Affairs Part l

**Chapter 27: Family Affairs**

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

 _ **2 days later**_

Danny yawned as he exited his room. Last night had been a little hectic. Multiple bank robberies had been stopped, as well as Cinderblock trying to break out of jail. They had taken care of it, of course, but it didn't make the late nights any easier.

As Danny entered the Ops Center, he was nailed right in the face by a pink blur, the force knocking him onto his back. He groaned and looked up to see a large silkworm resting on his stomach, lovingly purring as it rubbed against his face. "Nice to see you're comfortable, Silkie." Danny sighed. Ever since he had returned to Titans Tower, Silkie had been showering him with surprise attacks.

Starfire quickly flew over, grabbing Silkie and hoisting the large worm in her arms. "My apologies, Friend Danny." She said as she helped him up. "My little Bumgorf was merely showing affection." She smiled, pushing him towards him. "He really DOES like you." She said, letting the worm rub against Danny's face. He chuckled nervously and gently pushed the worm back into his master's arms. Starfire beamed at him and whisking Silkie down the hallway.

Danny swiped the goo off of his face. "Guess I should have seen that coming." He chuckled as he walked into the room. He jumped over the couch, landing beside Robin and Jazz. "About time you woke up." Robin smirked as he watched Sam and Beastboy battle against each other on Doom.

Sam was winning.

Obviously.

Danny glared at him. "Hey! Sorry I'm not a creepy night owl who never sleeps like SOMEBODY!" He said, pointedly staring back at the Boy Wonder. "Touche" Robin sighed, cracking a grin as Sam completely demolished Beastboy's character, much to the boy's dismay.

"Man, you really AREN'T getting better at this game, are you?" Tucker smirked from his place on the couch. Raven cracked a small smile from under her cloak as Beastboy continued to stare slack-jawed at Sam, who casually spun the controller around one of her fingers, smirking back at the shocked boy.

Suddenly, Cyborg roughly grabbed the top of the couch and tilted it backwards, taking the Titans sitting on it leaning backwards in shock. "Alright, ya'll! Whose ready for breakfast?!" He shouted excitedly.

Jazz gripped the couch. "That's great, Cy. But I think I prefer my food with my feet ON THE GROUND." She stressed, her feet dangling off the end of the tiled back couch.

Cyborg smirked and let go, the couch roughly falling forwards, back into place. The teens sitting on the couch yelped in surprise as they fell forward onto the floor. "Get ready to have your taste-buds explode!" Cyborg shouted excitedly.

The Titans grumbled and dusted themselves off, walking over to the table. Sam and Beastboy glanced at the table filled with food, then back at each other for a moment longer, before Sam finally sighed and made her way to the kitchen. "I'll get the tofu." She called as she rummaged through the fridge. Beastboy smiled and bounced over to he table. As the rest of the Titans made their way towards the table, a booming knock sounded on the main door.

The Titans glanced at each other in confusion, Starfire appearing from the hallway. "Were we expecting company?" She asked. Robin narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "And it's not like we have any neighbors who usually drop by." Danny stated, getting up from the table, the others following, curious as to who it might be.

Danny glanced back at the others as he faced the large door. They returned with questioning looks of their own. Danny shrugged and casually opened the door. His eyes widened and his mouth hung ajar as he stared back at the couple in front of him.

"Hi, Sweetie." Maddie said quietly.

Danny felt his body start to shake as he gazed back at his parents. "M...m..mo...mom? D..da...dad?" He asked quietly as he took a step back. Before the two adults could take another step, Robin and the rest of the Titans jumped in front of them, protectively guarding the shaking boy behind them. "Stay away from him!" Sam snarled as she glared at the two parents of her best friend.

Maddie stared in shock at the group of kids, her eyes falling on three in particular. Sam, Tucker and her baby...Jazz. She reached out a hand to gently touch the girl, only to have her pull back and glare hard at her with an icy gaze. "Don't touch me!" She growled threateningly. Maddie pulled away, Jack placing a gentle hand on his wife's shoulders.

"Listen kids, we just want to talk to our children." He said, only to have Jazz snort in disgust.

'Oh, so out still refer to us as your kids? I thought by now you just used the term monster!" She snapped, her eyes narrowed into slits.

Maddie flinched as her daughter snarled at her. Raven glared at the two, then glanced back and noticed that Danny hadn't moved. He was still frozen to the spot, shaking in terror. She leaned towards her leader. "Robin, Danny's having another panic attack. You need to get him out of here." She said. Robin glanced back and nodded as he saw his friend.

He turned to the rest of the Titans. "Guys, watch these two. I have to go take care of Danny. DON"T let them get near him." He snarled. The others nodded ferociously, anger coursing through them as they gazed at the adults in front of them.

Robin walked back and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, trying to lead the boy away, only to stop when he realized the boy was still frozen to the spot.

"Danny?" He called.

He gave no response. It was as if his feet were frozen to the ground, ice creeping across his body, encasing him in a state of terror and unadulterated fear. Robin grabbed both of his shoulders and faced him. "Danny!" He called more forcefully this time.

Danny blinked and focused on him. Robin sighed and carefully guided him out of the room into the Ops Center. He sat the boy on the couch, taking a seat next to him. He noticed the boy rubbing his wrists, staring at the ground as he did so. Robin placed a hand over the boy's scarred wrists, ceasing any movement.

Danny glanced up at him. "Y...you didn't c..call them, d..d..did you?" He asked. Robin quickly shook his head, knowing Danny's trust issues still lingered slightly over them.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "I don't know why they're here, Danny. But I promise we won't let them hurt you.' He said.

Danny nodded softly, gently rubbing his wrists once more. Robin jerked and spun around as he heard the doors to the Ops Center open, only to sigh in relief as Jazz entered, anger clearly written on her face. He gave her a questioning look.

She sighed and explained. "The others thought I should join you in here, away from THEM." She spat out the last word like venom.

She gazed over at Danny, her expression softening as she noticed the terror on his face. "Danny, they can't hurt you anymore. We won't let them." She said forcefully. Danny nodded softly, even though his head screamed at him to flee.

Suddenly, the heard what sounded like an engine soaring close. They glanced at each other, then around the room until they made out a red streak flying at high speeds through the sky, straight towards Titans Tower. "Great, now what?" Robin growled, running back to the entrance, the others close behind. Robin held out a hand right before they rounded the corner to enter the entrance hallway. "Wait here." He ordered the two. They reluctantly nodded as Robin entered the room, the other Titans still standing aggressively around the two adults.

They watched as Robin walked to the door, opening it as the red blur slowed as it descended closer to the ground until it revealed itself as a girl on a red hoverboard in a matching red and black outfit. She gazed at Robin frantically.

"You're Robin, right. Quick, I HAVE to talk to Danny. It's important." She said.

Beastboy snorted quietly. "Get in line."

Robin gazed at her accusingly, skepticism written on his face. "Why? Who are you?!" He growled.

Valerie quickly glanced around until her eyes fell upon the open door to the tower. Her eyes moved over the group standing a little ways from the door and landed on the boy leaning around the corner, gazing at her in surprise. "DANNY!" She cried out, speeding past Robin, who gave an indignant cry as she flew past him into the tower.

Danny gasped as Valerie landed in front of him, hoverboard disappearing back into her shoes. "Danny..." She started, reaching out and gently grabbing his arm. She stared at him in confusion as she felt him shaking under her grip. She glanced back up at him, only to be roughly shoved onto the ground. She whipped her head up in confusion only to find Jazz standing in front of her brother, her lips curled up in a growl. "Stay away from my brother, Valerie!" She snarled.

Robin rushed back into the room, the Titans, minus Sam and Tucker, gazed at each other in confusion. "Okay, will someone please tell me what THE HECK IS GOING ON?!" He cried out. Valerie pushed herself off the ground and slowly advanced towards Danny again, only to have Jazz yank out a glowing green staff and point it threateningly at her chest.

"Don't even think about it, Grey." She growled menacingly, driving the girl back until she joined the Fentons in the middle of the circle, surrounded by Titans.

"Valerie." Sam growled, getting up in the girl's face. "What are you doing here? Got some new weapons to test out?" She snarled, her eyes narrowing into slits. Tucker stood behind her, his face hardened in anger

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Get them all to the Interrogation Room and keep them in there until we figure this all out." He said. Cyborg, Raven and Starfire nodded as the others broke away, leaving the three Titans to escort their new "guests" into the room.

Jazz wrapped her arms around Danny, slowly leading the boy back into the Ops Center, the rest of the Titans following. "So, I guess breakfast isn't an option right now, huh?" Beastboy sighed, earning a punch in the arm from Sam.

* * *

The Titans sat around the Ops Center, debating with themselves on what to do, Danny quietly sitting with his sister at the table, staying silent throughout the fight.

"Why are we even debating this?! They deserve EVERYTHING that's coming to them!" Sam snarled at the group, her anger for the pain the three people had caused her friend bubbling to the surface.

"We can't just arrest them, Sam. It's not like they did anything...illegal. We don't yet know their true intentions" Robin said quietly, forcing his voice to remain calm, even though his fingers twitched in anger.

"DID"T DO ANYTHING?! DIDN'T DO ANYTHING?! Are you kidding?!" She cried out in anger.

"Yeah, man. Do you have ANY idea the trouble they've caused us? Not just since we started running, but WAYYYY before that?! They've been hunting Phantom for months. They wanted to DESTROY HIM! That's their TRUE intentions!" Tucker said, waving his arms in the air for added emphasis.

Beastboy swung his legs back and forth as he sat at the counter. "Is anyone else hungry?" He asked, earning a handful of glares from the rest of the group.

Cyborg crossed his arms. "I have to agree with them, Rob. These guys have caused nothing but trouble. Whose to say they won't attack Danny as soon as we let them go. I mean, they GAVE the Justice League weapons to hunt their own son! If that's not a sign of their true intentions, then I don't know what is." He said, glaring at the door that led into the hallway.

Starfire sighed. "I am not certain, my friends. These people have caused much trouble, but is it not possible for them to redeem themselves?" She asked. The others either looked away, snorted, or scowled.

Raven lifted the cloak off of her head, revealing her violet eyes and matching hair. She stared back at the group, continuing the debate. "We don't know everything. We should at least talk to one of them." She said, glancing at each of the members of the group, her eyes briefly floating over to Danny, who stared blankly at the table.

Robin furrowed his brow, debating the idea. "That MAY work. We could talk to one of them, see what they have to say. But, I don't know which one is more trustworthy." He turned to Sam, Tucker and Jazz. "What do you guys think? Which one is less likely to try anything?" He asked.

Jazz narrowed her eyes. "I don't think you can trust ANY of them. They're all a bunch of-"

"Valerie. I want to talk to Valerie." Danny said suddenly, raising his head to give the others a determined look.

Jazz stared at him in shock. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Danny, it's okay. You don't have to do this. You don't have to face them." She said, trying to convince her brother. He merely shook her off, sighing as he stared back at her.

"No, Jazz. I...I need to talk to her. I need to find out what she wants to say." He turned to address the rest of the team. "If she wanted to attack me, she would have done it as soon as she saw me. But she didn't. She wanted to talk to me." He said.

Robin growled, turning away. Finally he nodded in agreement. "Fine, but we'll be in here with you to make sure nothing happens."

Danny smirked at him. "Why did I have a feeling you would say?"

* * *

Danny rubbed his wrists as he sat on the couch, his eyes nervously darting across the floor. Robin sat on his left, Jazz on his right, the others scattered out in front of him. He jumped as he heard the sound of the main door opening. He turned his head and saw Cyborg walking in with Valerie in her normal clothes. She glanced around the room in awe, taking in the sights. She stopped when she noticed the others sitting by the couch, must of them giving her cold looks.

She took a deep breath as Cyborg led her to the other side of the couch, pulling up a chair for her to sit in front of the others. She noticed most of the Titans glaring at her, along with Sam, Tucker and Jazz. Danny merely continued to stare at the floor, gently rubbing his wrists. Valerie raised her hand towards him, only to have an orb of black magic wrap around her arm and drag it back. Raven glared at her. "Don't even think about trying anything." She snarled, raising her glowing hand menacingly.

Valerie gulped and nodded. Danny raised his head. Valerie gasped at the number of scars that ran across his face. "So it's true. The GIW really DID get to you." She breathed.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm not about to let it happen again. Why are you here?" He asked harshly.

Valerie stared back at him. "I've been looking for you for a while Danny, a couple of months. I finally tracked you down here, in Jump. I never knew you'd join the Titans." She breathed, a small smile gracing her lips.

Danny growled. "That's not answering my question."

Valerie sighed, staring down at the floor. She raised her head, her eyes becoming level with the boy. "I'm sorry, Danny." She finally said. Danny's eyes widened slightly at the statement. The last thing he expected the girl who had been hunting him from the start,

the girl that claimed he ruined her life,

the girl who wanted nothing more than to destroy him...

...was apologizing to him.

She continued. "When I would hunt you, I never gave you a chance to explain. I didn't want to listen. I was too angry, and I just wanted to stay angry. But...my hate for Phantom never outweighed my care for Fenton." She said, about to reach out to him, only to quickly pull away, remembering Raven's warning.

Danny sighed as he glanced down to the floor. "Cujo was never my dog. He just...really took a liking to me and I wanted to get him home to the Ghost Zone. And that time with the suit and Technus, I knew he was controlling it. I was never evil, Valerie. Just...different." He sighed. "I wanted to tell you, Valerie. But something told me you wouldn't listen to me.' He chuckled slightly.

Valerie stayed silent for a moment, filling the room with the crushing tension. Finally, she gazed back at Danny.  
"I...I understand now, Danny. Why you did everything. Why you hid everything, and I don't blame you. Heck, I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes." She said.

Danny raised his head to look at her. She turned and stared at the others. "I see why you guys were so protective of him when I was around, now." She said with a small smile, gazing at Tucker and Sam.

Sam shrugged. "Most of the time, all we could see was the Red Huntress when you were around Danny. We didn't want to see his hurt." She said, crossing her arms as she stared back at the girl.

Valerie nodded in understanding and turned back to Danny, this time, taking his hands in her own. Raven tensed, but allowed it, seeing as there were no violent thoughts radiating from the girl. "Danny, please understand. I know I hated Phantom. I needed something to be angry AT. But...now that he's you...I just can't be angry at him anymore. There's nothing to be angry at. Now that Phantom's you, I SEE you in him. I wouldn't be able to hurt him now if I tried."

She paused to let her words sink in. "I understand why you were scared of me then...but...you don't have to be scared now." She pleaded with him.

Danny hesitated, then smiled at her. "I don''t think I am anymore." He said. Valerie sighed and enveloped the boy in a hug, which he returned after a moment's hesitation.

She turned back to the others. "I hope this means we can finally be friends." She asked Jazz, Tucker and Sam. The three teens glanced at Danny momentarily, who gave them a small nod. They glanced back at each other then nodded to the girl, much to her relief.

Beastboy sighed and laid back on the top of the couch. "Okay, now that THAT'S taken care of, who wants breakfast?" He asked with a smile.

Robin shook his head. "Sorry, Beastboy. Breakfast will have to wait. We still need to figure out what we're going to do about Danny's parents."

Beastboy groaned and slumped down, falling off the side of the couch and onto the floor, not even bothering to push himself up.

Danny felt his body tense as his parents were mentioned. He unconsciously started to rub his wrists once more. Valerie gave a confused look to Danny as she watched him gently rub the scars on his wrists. Robin frowned and placed a hand over the boy's wrists, realizing he was starting to panic once more. "Don't worry, Danny. You don't have to see them if you're not ready-"

"No." Danny said firmly. He narrowed his eyes and stared back at the main doors that led out into the hallway. "I...I need to see them." He said, gritting his teeth. "I want them to explain themselves." He growled.

Jazz narrowed her eyes. "I don't think they CAN explain themselves." She snapped, glaring back at the door.

Robin stood. "Even so, we need to hear what they have to say. We need to know if they're a threat." He explained. Jazz growled and crossed her arms.

Danny bit his lip and glanced back at the door, fearing what lie behind it.


	28. Chapter 28: Family Affairs Part ll

**Chapter 28: Family Affairs Part ll**

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Robin asked as they faced the grey door.

"Not at all." Danny confessed, running his fingers over the scars on his wrists once more. "But this is something I have to do." He said, his face hardening in anticipation. Jazz stood next to her brother, ready to enter the room alongside him.

Robin nodded and walked back over to the others Titans and Valerie. While the two siblings went into the room, the others would monitor from the outside, ready at a moments notice to barge in if things started getting out of hand. Sam and Tucker stood by the glass, Sam had her hands on the control panel under the glass panel, glaring into the room while Tucker pressed a certain pattern of buttons into the panel, unlocking the door for the two siblings.

Robin gave his friend one last worried gaze, then turned his attention to the couple behind the one-way glass.

Danny took a deep breath as he faced the door once more. Jazz placed her hand into his, the two siblings squeezing the other tightly. Danny reached out and twisted the knob, the door opening slowly as they entered without saying a word.

Silence enveloped the room as the two walked in and took seats across from their parents.

No words were exchanged for a while as the two pairs tried to figure out how to play the situation out. Finally, after a few more minutes of silence, the voice of Beastboy broke through on the intercom. **" _Uggg! You guys ARE planning on saying something, right?"_** , followed by a cry of pain and various voices, all yelling out in anger as the intercom was immediately shut off.

But it was enough to at least break the group out of their silent stupor. Maddie shifted in her seat and as a small smile crossed her lips. "We're relieved to have finally found you." She said as she reached out to place a hand on Danny's arm, only to gasp in surprise as Jazz's hand shot out and latched onto her mother's wrist.

"Don't you DARE touch him." She growled in a low threatening voice, her grip bruising the skin around her mother's wrist. Maddie's eyes widened at the ferocity in her daughter's voice as she pulled her hand back and rubbed her now sore wrist.

Jack's gaze hardened. "That's no way to treat your mother." He stated sharply.

Jazz threw him a look that would have killed him ten times over. "You don't get to judge the way I treat you! Not after what you've done!" She snarled back at them. "I've been able to forgive you for everything you've done ever since Danny got his powers. Even though it was atrocious, I kind of understood WHY you did what you did. He was a ghost in your eyes. Your goal was to eradicate ghosts. But now?! NOW I see what you are really are! Danny's not the monster here, YOU TWO ARE!"

Jazz's fists shook at the anger bubbling throughout her. She grit her teeth so hard, she was sure they would break at any moment.

The two parents stared in shock at the girl, then narrowed their eyes as they stood as well. "Jasmine, do you know what your father and I have been through these past couple of months? Do you know how long we searched for you two? How many restless nights went by, not knowing if our children were safe or not?! It was TORTURE!" Maddie cried out in anger.

Finally, Danny snapped.

He stood up in a flash, his seat crashing to the ground at the sudden movement. The three occupants in the room gazed at him in shock. His shut eyes opened to reveal glowing green irises, filled with emotion.

Sadness

Pain

Betrayal

Fury

He narrowed his eyes as he stared back at his parents. "You want to take about what you've been through? You want to complain about how long you stayed up? You want to talk about TORTURE?!" He snarled, flinging out the last word with vile hatred.

"You have NO IDEA what we went through!" He growled. "For days we ran from EVERYTHING. For weeks we feared EVERYTHING. For MONTHS I've feared you! I feared everything about you! How my 'loving' parents would turn on me in an instant if I EVER showed them who I really was. I had to hide everything from you. And I wanted to tell you all SO badly! But I couldn't! I couldn't take the chance of what you would do if you ever found out I was Danny Phantom, the ghost you hated the most!" He shouted, his body shaking with anger.

"That portal, that one stupid invention changed my life forever! Didn't you ever wonder how I got it working all of a sudden? It was THAT machine that turned me into Phantom. It was YOU! But yet you all saw ME as the enemy. And for what?! Just because I was a ghost. Didn't you ever stop to consider that MAYBE I was telling the truth when I would try and explain things to you, right before you would start blasting me?!" He growled.

Nobody said anything. Jazz silently fumed as she sat down and let her brother spew everything out that she wanted to say, and more. His parents merely stood there, shocked as their son screamed at them in fury.

"This explains everything! The late nights, the strange injuries, the seclusion. Even the way I would shy away from you two. Did you not see all of this?!" He snarled.

"Finally, the day I feared the most came true. You all discovered who I was, along with the rest of the nation. I was terrified. TERRIFIED of what your reactions would be. But...but I still had hope that maybe, MAYBE...you...you would understand. That you would still care about me." He said, his gaze softening, then returning back into its hardened state in a flash. "Then I saw the weapons the Justice League had."

His hands started to shake once more. Not from anger. But from sadness.

"I...I couldn't understand it. My parents...my own parents...wanted me destroyed. I...I had hoped you would be able to see past the ghost in me...and see the human side. The side who grew up loving being with his mom, or hanging with his dad. The side that was slightly embarrassed about your ghost hunting, but loved it anyways. The side that would always feel better when he was around you. The...the side that loved you, and hoped you loved me back."

Tears streamed down his face as the words fell out of his mouth. "I...I guess I hoped too much." He shook his head and stared down at the floor, tears still steadily streaming. "You don't understand. You CAN'T understand. Every time you would say you hate me, it hurt so much. Even though I knew you were talking about Phantom, it still felt like you were talking...about me. But I still wanted to tell you who I was. I wanted you to know, because I wanted you to UNDERSTAND that I wasn't a bad guy. I wanted you to understand that I wasn't just some evil ghost. I wanted you to understand that I was still your son. Still worth...something."

"I guess I was waiting for something that was never going to happen."

Jazz stood quietly and wrapped her arms around her brother, the boy burying his face into her shoulder, as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. Maddie could only stare back in shock, tears forming in the corners on her eyes. Jack placed a hand on her shoulder, all anger in the air now gone. She could only watch in agony as her baby boy wept in his sister's arms...because of her.

* * *

After a while, Jazz and Danny couldn't take it anymore. They walked over to the mirrored wall and sat down under the large glass panel, their backs against the wall. Jazz continued to whisper calming words to her brother as he rested his cheek on her shoulder, avoiding making eye contact with either of his parents.

Finally, Maddie couldn't take it anymore. "We never meant to hurt you." She said softly, barely above a whisper.

"What?" Jazz asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Maddie cleared her throat. "We never meant to hurt you. Me or your father. We...we only wanted to keep you safe." She said, only to have Jazz roll her eyes. "Safe from what? Ghosts? How do you save someone from themselves?" She retorted, gazing back down at Danny.

Jack sighed. "She only means that we wanted to help you kids. We never meant to hurt you, to hurt any of you." He explained, Danny's head remaining lowered, his eyes blocked by his raven-black hair that hung limply over his eyes. "You're our son, Danny-boy! Always have, always will be." He said with a small smile.

Jazz growled at them. "Then how do you explain the weapons?"

Maddie sighed and stared down at the table. "Yes. Yes we did give them those weapons. But we only did it to make sure no suspicion arose on us." She explained.

Jazz scoffed. "I get it. You did it to save yourselves." She snarled.

Maddie shook her head. "No, we did it for you!" She shouted. "We knew that if we didn't cooperate with the GIW or the Justice League, suspicions would have been placed on us and then we never would have been able to come look for you! We did it to help you." She said solemnly.

Jazz narrowed her eyes and turned away, gazing at her brother instead. Maddie, hesitated for a moment, then walked around the table and knelt down in front of her kids, Jack doing the same. Jazz and Danny visibly tensed, but remained quiet. Maddie reached out with one hand, then stopped when she saw her son flinch. She sighed and placed her hand on her knee instead.

"Danny, our goal was never to hurt you, either of you. We...just wanted to keep you safe. Safe from all the evil out there. And to us...that was ghosts." She explained. Danny stared down at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with either of his parents. "But if we had known you were...half-ghost, we NEVER would have put you through all that." She said.

Jack nodded. "You''re our son, Danny. Nothing will ever change that. Not even an experiment gone wrong." He said with a small smile.

Danny blinked a couple times, the information starting to break through the fog in his mind. He lifted his gaze and met his parents' faces. Maddie reached out once more and placed a hand on his cheek, smiling when he didn't pull away, and when Jazz didn't snap at her.

"How could we ever hate you Danny? You've done so much good. The same good we always thought was a trick, was really...good. All those late nights, those missed curfews, the reclusiveness ...we always thought you were becoming distant, that you were just becoming another...teenager. But really you were the most amazing boy in the whole town!"

Jack chuckled. "How many parents can claim that?!" He smiled

"We don't blame you for keeping this all a secret from us, Danny. We didn't give you much of a choice." Maddie continued. Jack nodded. "Yeah, all the times we would talk about ripping apart ghosts probably didn't help your worries, didn't it. Of course you didn't tell us! I would have been freaking out if I were you. Got to say, you handled everything well, son. Especially keeping your friends and sister safe." He said with a smile.

"We love you, Danny. Nothing will ever change that. NOTHING." Maddie said firmly. Danny gazed at her, a small smile showing on his face, his parents doing the same.

Maddie turned to Jazz, who was still gazing at Danny, now with a smile on her face. "Jazz..." She called, causing the girl to glance up with a wary gaze. "I'm so proud of you." She said with a smile. Jazz gaped at her in confusion. Maddie continued. "You stood by your brother through everything, even though you had no idea how we would react. You've looked out for him when we couldn't. You kept his feet on the ground, even when floating. You've been the best big sister he could possibly have." She said, gazing at her daughter with joy in her eyes.

Jack nodded and patted the girl on the shoulder. "You've done great, Jazzy-pants. We couldn't be prouder of you, of either of you. You're the best kids we could ever ask for." He said.

Both siblings glanced at each other, then back at their smiling parents. Maddie extended her hand. Danny reached out, then pulled back in hesitation. Finally, he smiled slightly and gently placed his hand in his mother's. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and brought him to his feet, Jack doing the same for Jazz.

They four embraced each other in a group hug, one that was months overdue.

* * *

Robin sighed in relief and turned his back on the scene, shaking his head at the rest of the team.

Beastboy and Starfire were fighting over a tissue as they bawled their eyes out, Starfire ending up knocking Beastboy to the floor as she loudly blew her nose on the paper. Sam and Tucker did as Robin had done, sighing in relief and resting their heads on the wall, Cyborg and Raven repeating the action.

Finally, Beastboy pushed himself off of the ground and shook his head, clearing it of any haze that still remained. He cast a weak glare at Starfire and faced the rest of the group, pressing the button for the intercom once more, having learned nothing from the punishment he had received earlier.

"Okay, NOW can we have breakfast?!"

* * *

 **3 days later**

Jack studied the portal intently. He placed a hand to his chin as he inspected the machine up and down. He started to pace back and forth, his eyes glued to the portal. He smiled and turned back to Danny, Tucker and Cyborg.

"Have to say, you kids did a fantastic job recreating the Ghost Portal." He said with a smile.

Cyborg grinned. "Thanks, Mr. Fenton. Have to admit, it took a while, but I think it was worth it." He said, patting Tucker on the shoulder.

Jack nodded in approval and watched as the two boys exited the room. He grabbed Danny's shoulder as the boy was about to follow his friends out. "Just so ya know, ours is still better." He whispered to his son.

Danny chuckled and shook his head, walking out of the room. Jack gazing at him in confusion, then shrugged his shoulders and following him out.

Meeting back up with the others in the Ops Center, Jack joined Maddie at the dining table, where she was describing different stories about inventions gone wrong and different ghost encounters to the rest of the Titans, including Valerie, who had been staying at the Tower since arriving. Danny groaned and rubbed his forehead as his parents shared some of the more embarrassing stories.

"I have no idea what happened, but the turkey somehow...turned evil. Although it may have been the ecto-powered oven I was cooking it in..." Maddie said, thinking back to it. Jazz sighed. "Never thought I would have to fight off Christmas Dinner. But I have to say...it certainly was...memorable, especially when it started to chew Danny's arm." She said, giggling at the last remake.

Danny scowled as the others laughed. "Hey, it was no laughing matter. That was TRAUMATIZING! I still have the scar!" He groaned.

Cyborg chuckled. "How do you explain that? Oh, yeah! That's from when my Christmas Dinner tried to eat me back!" He said, cracking up, the others doing the same. Beastboy narrowed his eyes. "You see! That never happens with TOFU!" He said with a smug smirk. Cyborg sneered at him. "Yeah, cause nobody wants to eat it in the first place."

Beastboy growled at him and crossed his arms. Sam chuckled and patted the boy's shoulders. "Don't worry, B.B. We'll get him to eat some tofu soon, even if we have to shove it into his mouth while he's sleeping." She said with an evil smirk. Beastboy grinned and rubbed his hands together. Cyborg gazed at the two warily. "Don;t you even think about it, ya little Grass Stain!" He growled threateningly.

Beastboy narrowed his eyes and grinned at him.

Maddie smiled as she saw her son and daughter laughing along with the other teens. She sighed peacefully, trying to remember when she had seen her son so happy.

Danny sighed and took a deep breath as he finished a laughing fit, Robin trying to do the same. Starfire gazed at them confused. "I do not understand the humor. On my planet, it is not uncommon for out food to try and attack us. It is what made dinner so much more exciting." She said with a smile. Robin and Danny gazed at each other for a moment longer, then burst out laughing once again. Starfire gazed at them, confused, and turned back to Jazz, trying to figure out why the boys were laughing so hard they looked like they were about to pass out.

Maddie smiled and stood up from the table. She gazed at the teens as they sat at the table. "We must thank you kids again for your hospitality." She said.

Robin shook his head. "It was no trouble." He said with a smile.

Maddie smiled. "Although it may have had a bumpy start, these past few days have been the best I've had in months." She said, Jack nodding agreement. Danny gazed at his parents and smiled.

Maddie turned her gaze to the windows that overlooked the bay and sighed in relaxation as calmness washed over her at the sight of the view. "This really has been wonderful." She said turning back to the table. Jack stretched and stood up next to her. "Sure has. It's nice knowing our kids and their friends were in such good hands for these hard times." He said. The Titans returned with welcoming looks.

Maddie nodded and turned back to her kids. "Well, I think i'm all adventured out for the rest of the year. How about you, Jack?" She asked, turning back to the man. He nodded. "Yep, I am so ready to sleep in my own bed, and not in the back of the Fenton R.V." He turned back to his two children.

"Well kids, ya ready to head home?"

* * *

 **Dun, dun, dun!**

 **Sorry to leave off on a cliffhanger...again. But this just kind of happened. Not much to explain here.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter should be out...soon. I have a pretty busy schedule coming up so I'm not certain when the next one will be up. But don't fret. It shouldn't take TOO long.**

 **Anyway, stay tuned for The Ghostly Titan, Chapter 29: Blood Ties or Titans?**

 **P.S.-coming up on the 30TH CHAPTER! AHHHH! SO EXCITED! *couch* *couch***

 **...sorry. ;)**


	29. Chapter 29: Warnings

**Chapter 29: Warnings**

* * *

 **Ghost Zone**

 **1 hour earlier**

Vlad flew through the Zone, the toxic green swirls of color flying around him as he sped past different doors and landmasses. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the book in his hands. He sighed in frustration as he gazed at his surroundings.

Nothing but broken doors and dark grey slabs of rock.

He cursed silently as he continued to fly aimlessly through the zone, hoping to find a familiar landmark.

After a while, a dead tree could be seen, followed by another and another until he was flying above a whole forest filled with the lifeless branches of once lushes trees. He raised his gaze and saw a familiar red palace.

Pariah's Castle

He grinned. Finally he was getting somewhere.

He flew past the castle and took a sharp turn downwards. He studied the large rock that the castle sat upon. He ran his hands over the rough surface until then felt a smooth surface. Too smooth for the underside of a rock that was centuries old. He lit his hand up with ectoplasmic energy and pressed it against the smooth surface. As expected, the surface started to glow, along with the deep cracks that were embedded in the rock. Each and every fault in the rock started to glow the same dark pink as his energy.

He could feel the vibrations in the air as the rock started to shift apart, revealing a hidden portal, swirling continuously in a green vortex. Vlad smiled wickedly and flew into the green mass.

His feet touched down on solid ground, causing him to look up. He was in a large room with a ceiling that seemed to stretch up to the heavens. The room glowed an eerie orange tint from the light of the many torches that lined the walls. Suits of armor stood next to each torch, each holding a certain weapon, calm and serene as they gazed out over the room.

Plasmius gave them quick passing glances as he continued along the hallway. Finally, he approached a large golden door that seemed to be covered in black vines, each with long red thorns protruding from different spots. A large lock hung in the middle of the door, connecting each of the vines.

But before he could take another step, he heard the sound of creaking metal. He whipped around and saw that the statues of armor were starting to move. Their heads quickly spun around and faced Plasmius, the slots in their helmets glowing red as their eyes lit up. The metal groaned and creaked as their bodies moved and shifted as they jumped off their platforms. Plasmius narrowed his eyes as his hands lit up a vibrant pink. The soldiers paused then reached down to their sides, yanking out glowing green blades. They charged.

Vlad tensed and jumped into the air, slamming his hand down on top of the helmet. The armor dented as Plasmius hit, sending a shutter throughout the rest of the soldier's metal body. Vlad landed on the ground, the smirk on his face disappearing as the dent shifted and returned to its original shape. The soldier groaned and growled as it turned back to face him.

Plasmius grit his teeth as the rest of the creatures surrounded him. He flew back into the air, releasing a wave of energy as he did, knocking the soldiers backwards. He dove down, ramming his glowing fist into the center of one of the soldiers, creating a large hole in the center of the armor. The soldier tilted its head, then collapsed in a pile of metal. Vlad quickly dodged a blow from one of the swords as it slammed down where he had been. He growled and slammed his fist into the ground, sending tremors through the stone, bowling the creatures over.

Plasmius raised his hand, blasting the soldiers one by one until all that remained was pieces of disembodied metallic limbs that lay all over the hallway. He sneered at the display and strode over to the door once more, crushing a helmet under his feet as he did, the light in its eyes flickering and finally going out as it was reduced to shards.

Facing the door once more, Plasmius dug into his pocket and pulled out a green, skull-shaped key with glowing red eyes.

The Skeleton Key.

He gazed at it, remembering when he had first acquired it. He smirked and placed the key into the lock, satisfaction running through his veins when the loud click echoed throughout the room. The large chain crumpled to the floor, the black vines retracting back into the sides of the wall. The large door creaked and moaned as Plasmius pushed on it.

Light from the hallway spilled into the dark room, the torches instantly lighting as the door was opened. The room stretched upwards, the ceiling almost as high as the hallways. Each of the four walls had large lines that ran through from the bottom of the floor to the top and from side to side, etching the markings of hundreds of squares on every wall. Plasmius narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the hundreds, maybe thousands of sectioned off areas, then turned his attention to the center of the room.

A large pedestal stood in the center of the room, bright light streaming in from the ceiling, cascading over the protective sealing. Plasmius flew over to the pedestal and stopped in front of it, hovering mere inches from the floor. He reached out one hand and ran his fingers over the small jewel encrusted chest that could almost fit in his hand. He narrowed his eyes and slowly tilted the lid back, revealing the artifact concealed inside.

A clean cut crystal in the shape of a diamond. Light shined off the inky black color of the crystal, the blood-red swirls of energy that traveled through the inside of the crystal showing the only hint of color to the artifact.

The Gem of Zith.

Plasmius narrowed his eyes and grinned, cackling loudly as he picked up the crystal and shined it in the light. His body shivered as he came into contact with the gem, but he didn't care. Finally. They had it. Total domination was in their grasp. He didn't even noticed the faint red glow of the gem as he shined it in the light.

He quickly placed the gem carefully into his pocket and flew towards the exit, not even noticing the sound of muffled thumping coming from the walls.

Flying out of the portal, Plasmius let out one final laugh and sped off into the depths of the Ghost Zone, unaware that he was being watched. Skulker gazed warily as Plasmius passed by, uninterested until he felt a shilling sensation travel up his spine as the man passed. He gazed shocked at the man as he sped past, confused as to what could give him that bone-chilling sensation, when his eyes fell upon a glistening black shape protruding out of the man's pocket.

His eyes widened as he watched the man fly off. He whipped his head around, back at Pariah's Castle, where Plasmius had left. He narrowed his eyes. ' _So the legends were true.'_ He thought. ' _And if he has it, then we are all in danger.'_ He growled deep in his throat and charged up his boosters, flying at high speed towards the nearest portal. ' _That madman's going to get us all killed.'_ He thought grimly as he flew forward, intent on tracking down the one boy who knew the most about Plasmius, and what he intended to do with a weapon so powerful.

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

 **Present**

"Well kids, ya ready to go home?" Jack asked with a smile, gazing down at the two kids.

Silence enveloped the room as everyone stopped what they were doing and gazed at the two adults. Jack glanced around the room. "What?" He asked, oblivious to many problems. Danny and Jazz looked at each other with confused looks.

"Uh, Dad?" Danny asked. Jack glanced down at him, Maddie doing the same. "Go home?" Jazz repeated.

Maddie nodded. "Of course. And we really should be going soon. Although it will be a little cramped in the Fenton R.V. with Sam,Tucker and Valerie included. Of course, Valerie could always ride her board but..." She turned away, trying to figure out how to seat all the kids comfortably in the vehicle. Sam and Tucker whipped their heads towards each other, eyes wide in shock while Valerie shifted her eyes uncomfortably, realizing where this was going.

Danny glanced over to Robin and the other Titans, who were gazing at him in worry and concern, tension starting to grow as they waited for what the current conversation would hold.

Danny stood and walked over to his parents, Jazz right by his side. "Umm...I didn't know we were going...home." He said, trailing off at the last word. Maddie gazed at her son in confusion. "Well of course, Danny. What did you think?" She chuckled as she turned back to face Jack.

Danny bit his lip and rubbed his foot on the floor, lowering his gaze, saying the next statement quieter than before. "That you'd go back home and we'd stay...here."

Maddie instantly froze and sharply turned on her heel, staring down at the boy. "And what would make you think that?" She asked with a stern gaze. Danny's gaze hardened at his mother's tone. "Because we've been living here for more than a month and...it's starting to become home." He said, crossing his arms.

Jazz quickly stepped in between the two. "What he means is that this place has really grown on us...and it's kind of hard to think about letting it go." She said. Maddie furrowed her brow and raised her head. "Well we're not THINKING, we ARE." She said in a firm gaze.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Do WE get a say in the matter? We HAVE become a part of this family." He said, gesturing to the Titans, who were now starting to leave the table and stand behind the boy. Jack walked over and stood next to his wife. "You're already a part of a family." He said, narrowing his eyes.

Danny turned away. "Yeah! A family I haven't seen in months!" He growled. Maddie visibly flinched, but held her ground as her son continued. "The Titans have become a second family for us. For all of us." He said, gesturing to Sam, Tucker and Jazz. "We've helped them with battles, with enemies, and they've helped us. They helped us in ways nobody could ever understand." He said, leaving out the ' _especially you'_ part that he wanted to voice, thinking better of it.

Maddie huffed and turned towards the others. "Sam, Tucker. What about you two? Have you even spoken to your parents during all of this? They must be worried sick!" She exclaimed. Tucker bit his lip and stared down at the floor. "Well...they weren't the _happiest_ when I told them what we were planning, BUT I'm... _sure_ they're okay." He said. "I mean...what could be safer than living in a house with a bunch of superheroes?" He chuckled nervously.

Sam crossed her arms. "My parents are _fine_. Knowing them, I'm surprised they haven't sent the army to bring me back home. I've... _.talked_ to them. Well...mostly they yelled for an hour while I took a nap. I woke up and they were only half-way done lecturing." She said with a smirk, which disappeared when she saw the stern faces of Danny's parents.

Maddie opened her mouth to say something, only to pause as Robin stepped forward. "Mrs. Fenton. We understand your concern. But they've been with us for a while. They're official Titans." He said. Maddie furrowed her brow and stared hard at the boy. Robin shook it off and continued. "They're a part of our family. And I don't think they really want to leave." He said, walking over to Danny.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Tough, because we're leaving." He said as he grabbed ahold of Danny and Jazz's arms.

"Hey!" Danny yelled as his father started walking towards the doors that led out of the Ops Center. The boy reached out and grabbed his sister's hand, turning them intangible as they slipped out of their father's hands. Jack's eyes widened as his grip disappeared. He turned back towards the two kids. "I'm _not_ kidding, kids. And while that _was_ totally cool..." He said with a goofy grin that disappeared in a flash. "We're going home!" He said loudly.

Danny growled at him. "I AM home!" He shouted.

Before anybody could say or do anything else, the room was engulfed in a red flashing light. Maddie and Jack gazed around in confusion, the kids merely glancing at each other. "We have to go." Danny said firmly to his parents. Maddie narrowed her eyes. "Don't think this conversation is over, Mister." She said firmly. Danny said nothing as he turned his head away and transformed into Phantom.

Maddie and Jack gazed in awe, anger forgotten for a moment as their son transformed into the white haired, green eyed ghost boy. He turned his head to gaze at them for a moment longer, then turned back to the rest of the team. Robin nodded. "Titans, GO!" The Boy Wonder shouted as the others sprang into action. Danny paused as he realized Valerie was hanging back. He floated in the doorway. "Hey! You coming?" He asked. Valerie gave him a surprised look and nodded, jumping into the air, her suit appearing around her as he board expanded under her feet, speeding away with Phantom.

Maddie stared at the door they had disappeared through. She sighed and took a seat at the table. "Jack, are we doing the right thing?" She asked. Jack turned to her, about to instantly reply, then stopped when he saw a framed photo of the Titans, including his kids, smiling as they crammed into the shot. He sighed and lowered his gaze. "I...I don't know."

* * *

 **Uptown Jump City**

Danny slowed his descent as he hovered above the street, the others quickly showing up beside him. He glanced around, checking for signs of distress.

Nothing.

He looked over at the Titans, who were gazing around in confusion as well. "Umm...did we get prank called or something?" Beastboy asked, scratching the back of his head. Before Danny could answer, a chill traveled up his spine as a thin blue wisp escaped his lips. The Titans gazed at him in confusion while Jazz, Tucker and Sam whipped around, quickly scanning the surrounding area.

"Uhh...isn't that your weird ghosty sense?" Beastboy asked.

"Ghost Sense." Danny corrected, readying himself into a defensive stance.

"So, where's the ghost?" Valerie asked.

"Sorry, it didn't come with GPS." Danny smirked at her. Suddenly a bright blue blast hit the boy in the chest, knocking him to the ground. As he regained his senses, he noticed his torso and arms were now tied up in a glowing blue rope.

"Don't worry, whelp. You won't have to look far." Skulker said as he floated down and landed in front of the boy. Robin narrowed his eyes. "Titans, GO!" He yelled as the team surged forward. Skulker rolled his eyes as they charged, rockets appearing from his shoulders, much to their surprise. The weapons hit their marks, blowing the teens back.

Robin grit his teeth and gripped his staff tighter, Jazz jumping in next to him as the two charged the ghost once more. Jazz ducked low while Robin jumped high, both landing blows on the bottom and top halves of the ghost's armor. Skulker narrowed his eyes and raised his arm, a large blaster appearing from within the limb. He aimed it in between the two kids and fired, hitting the pavement under their feet, knocking them backwards.

He smirked and flew into the air, only to be knocked back down. He glared upwards as Starfire and Raven floated above his head. Blaster powered wings sprouted from his back as he flew into the air, ramming his shoulder into Starfire, sending the alien flying backwards. Raven narrowed her eyes and encased the cars along the sidewalk in black magic, sending them in the ghost's direction. A glowing green blade extended out of his arm as he sliced the cars as they were hurled at him, hitting Raven with his own blast as he did so.

Sam, Tucker, Valerie and Cyborg jumped forward, ramming the ghost hard with their weapons while Beastboy ran over to Danny, trying to undo him from his bonds. "How the heck...?" He mumbled to himself as he gazed at the glowing ropes. Danny sighed. "Just turn into something that can cut me out of this." He said. Beastboy saluted and transformed into a tiger, clamping his teeth down on the glowing ropes. Danny sighed once more as Beastboy struggled to undo the ropes. "Anytime man..."

Meanwhile, Cyborg yelled out in surprise as Skulker threw him across the pavement. Sam growled and fired a large purple blast from his gloves, hitting the hunter in the chest while Valerie bombarded the ghost with blast from her own board and suit. He focused his gaze on Sam and slammed his fist into the ground, sending a large tremor through the ground, knocking the girl off her feet. He rasied his arm once more, hitting Valerie with a large glob of ecto-goo, sticking her to one of the nearby buildings. Tucker threw his arm forward, whip wrapping around the ghost as the boy yanked on the ropes, pulling the hunter to the ground. Skulker flashed a wicked grin as he stood and flew into the air, yanking Tucker with him.

The boy screamed in panic as he was dragged through the air. Skulker dived straight for the ground, pulling up at the last moment, sending Tucker crashing to the ground. The ghost smirked at the scene, only to yell out as a bright green blast hit him in the side. He turned his head to see Danny flying towards him, the boy ramming into his chest, knocking him back.

Before Skulker could recover, a green wold clamped down on his metallic arm. He narrowed his eyes and slammed his fist onto the dog's head. Beastboy yelped and pulled back, his head spinning as he tried to clear his vision of the stars that danced before his eyes. Danny smirked at the ghost as he shot a blue blast at his arm, encasing the metal and circuits in ice. "What's with you, Skulker? No death threats today?" He asked, only to groan as the ghost slammed into his stomach, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Not today, Whelp." Skulker growled and walked over, picking up Danny by the front of his shirt.

Danny glared at the ghost as he struggled against the grip. "What do you want anyway, Skulker?!" He snapped at the ghost. Skulker threw him back to the ground. "It's not about what I want. It's about what that LUNATIC wants." He said.

Danny gazed at him in confusion. "Lunatic? What lunatic?" He asked as the other Titans ran over. Skulker landed on the ground and faced the boy with a grim face. "Plasmius, your little buddy." He stated. Danny growled at the name. "He's NOT my buddy." He snapped, Skulker paying no attention. "He stole something from the Ghost Zone. Something dangerous."

Danny tensed. Last time Vlad stole something from the Ghost Zone, it led to the entire town falling prey to Pariah Dark. "What did he steal?" He asked. Skulker narrowed his eyes and spoke quieter, almost as if uttering the name threatened his existence. "The Gem of Zith." He finally spoke.

Danny glanced at the others. "Umm...do any of you have any idea what that is?" He asked. They shook their heads, all besides Raven, who seemed to be lost in thought. Skulker glared at the boy. "You mean to tell me you DON'T know what the Gem of Zith is?" He snarled in disbelief. "Should I?" Danny shrugged. Skulker sighed, annoyance obvious in his tone.

Suddenly, Raven perked her head up. "One of my books mentioned the Gem of Zith, an artifact so powerful it is impossible to destroy." She glanced at Skulker, amethyst eyes full of knowing. "The Ark Amulet was stolen a few weeks ago from a museum." She looked over at Robin, adding, "Which you told me to investigate." She said. "The book explained how the two are linked together."

Robin nodded. "Let's head back to the tower and see what we can find about those two artifacts." He said.

The others nodded. Danny turned back to Skulker, who was now glaring at him. "Deal with that crackpot of yours, Whelp. Before he destroys us all." He said. Danny narrowed his eyes and pulled out the Fenton Thermos. Skulker's eyes widened as he was suddenly sucked in. "Sure. But not before I give you a lift _back_ to the Ghost Zone." He muttered.

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

Raven flipped through the book, stopping as she came across a bookmarked page.

The Titans, including Valerie, Maddie and Jack surrounded the table as Raven placed the book down in the middle of them all. The page showed a picture of a black gem with swirls of red inside. The gem was inside a golden amulet connected with a chain.

"Here it is, the Gem of Zith." Raven said, facing the others as she read from the page.

" _Legend says that from the blackest fires of the underworld, an evil so powerful and so devastating that it could level worlds was created. It was too powerful to be held in one artifact, so the power was split into two. The Ark Amulet and The Gem of Zith. Named after it's first user, Zith was the first ghost to ever wield the powers of the gem. He ruled the lands and all around it with a iron fist, destroying whatever he sought fit. Finally, the power became too great for him. Day after day, the gem would slowly suck the energy out of Zith, until nothing remained. Zith's energy remained trapped in the gem, along with all the power he wielded. Whoever controlled the gem afterwards would not only be granted power from the gem, but also the power of Zith and all ghosts who wielded the gem after him."_

 _"Any who control the gem are blessed with untold powers. But the gem also allows you to control the Armies of Hell, a legendary army of thousands, made up of every evil monster, creature and idea one could think of. The wielder of the gem would have total control of this army, doing whatever they pleased, as the soldiers would follow their every command. The gem not only allowed total control of the army, it's uses varied greatly. It would turn the user into an almost indestructible creature of power, able to grant the user almost any power, as well as cheat death. The gem has the power to resurrect the user if they may fall to the hands of death. Whosoever holds the gem obtains all it's powers."_

 _"Combined with the Ark Amulet, the Gem of Zith is said to be the most powerful relic in all of history. Although, the artifact is said to be so dangerous that the two items were split apart so that no mere mortal would ever be able to reach it. The relics are said to be lost between dimensions, as that is the only way to ensure they never come into contact with one another, for it would mean with downfall of all humanity."_

Raven raised her head, gazing at the Titans, each with concerned faces. She placed the book down on the table, the picture of the gem and amulet clear on the pages. Robin narrowed his eyes. "Nobody should have that much power." He said with a grim expression. Danny stared at the page and lifted his head. "Wait...you guys said that there was a chance that Plasmius and Slade are working together, right?" He asked.

The others nodded. He raised a hand to his chin. "So...if Plasmius has the Gem..." He started.

"And Slade has the Amulet..." Robin continued. The two looked at each other in fear.

"Then we're in some serious trouble." Beastboy groaned.

The Titans looked at each other, then gazed out at the window that overlooked the bay, wondering where the two artifacts lay at the moment.

* * *

 **Okay! So that was...interesting.**

 **Don't worry, I'll continue the argument with Danny and his family in the next chapter, but I really wanted to end it like this. Don't worry, I didn't just drop it. But I'd like to see your guesses on what will happen between them.**

 **Will Danny stay with the Titans?**

 **Will his parents force him to come back?**

 **Can you guess correctly? Probably not, but it'd be cool to see your guesses. Anyway, in the next chapter, you'll see more of Slade and Plasmius as well as the Titans' plan to defeat them.**

 **Also...Dani fans...get ready. Your pleas will be answered!**


	30. Chapter 30: Army Of Our Own

**Chapter 30: Army Of Our Own**

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

Plasmius flew through the door quietly, lightly landing on the concrete ground. He scanned the room for any signs of his partner, narrowing his eyes when his search came up empty. He trusted Slade about as far as he could blast him. The man had too many secrets for his taste; not that Vlad didn't have many secrets of his own, most of which Slade already knew.

"Was your mission successful?"

Plasmius jumped slightly as a new voice broke through his thoughts. He whipped around as Slade entered the room, walking over to the monitors. Plasmius narrowed his eyes. "It was." He said, a hint of mistrust in his voice as he spoke. Slade turned away from the computers and walked forward, stopping in front of the man. Plasmius hesitated, then reached into his pocket and grabbed the gem, placing it on the table in front of them.

Slade turned and stared at the black gem as the light glistened off of it's gleaming polish. He smirked behind his mask as he turned away from the table, walking over to one of the walls. Plasmius glanced at him in confusion as Slade reached forward and placed his hand flat against the cold concrete wall. Suddenly, part of the wall broke away and slowly extended out, revealing a secret compartment.

Slade reached into his pocket and pulled out a key, placing it into the lock, the box opening slowly with a hiss. He reached out and retracted his hand, the Ark Amulet now safely secure in his grasp. He turned back, walking slowly towards the table. Plasmius felt his body tense as Slade walked closer, stiffening as the man stepped closer and closer. Slade stopped and slowly placed the amulet down next to the gem.

Plasmius glanced at him in confusion and reached his hand out to tough the gem, only for Slade to roughly latch onto his wrist and pull him back. "DON'T... _touch_ them." He said, a trace of hostility in his voice. He cautiously pushed the two artifacts closer together, retracting his hand quickly as they started to glow a deadly combination of red and black. Plumes of energy began to rift up from the gem and the amulet as they came into contact with each other.

Slade stared at the scene for a moment longer before turning away. "The energy between them has to balance out first before anything else can be done." He explained. Plasmius narrowed his eyes and turned away as well. "Then what do you suggest we do in the meantime?" He asked.

Slade smirked at him behind the mask. "We must be patient, Plasmius. All the best things happen...unexpectedly."

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

"Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying the bad guys have just got even MORE bad?" Tucker asked. Robin narrowed his eyes and turned away, staring back at the pages of the book. Raven turned her head to face the techno-geek. "That means yes." She said, fluent in the language of Robin.

Danny gazed back at the sorceress. "Isn't there any way to stop it?" He asked.

Raven furrowed her brow. "The gem has a defense mechanism. It can only be removed from the user by a creature of the same species." She explained. Beastboy scratched his head. "Okay...what does that mean?" He asked.

"It means if a ghost wields it, then only a ghost can remove it. If a human does, than only a human can remove it." Sam explained, glancing at Raven for confirmation. Raven nodded. "Either that, or the gem destroys them. But there's no telling how long that would actually take. It could be days to centuries." She clarified.

Robin nodded grimly. "Then we'll have to be ready for anything." He said, moving to face the whole group, Danny coming to stand beside him. "We've done this before. We've defeated the undefeatable and we'll do it again." Robin said with a firm voice. "Slade's just another villain we need to take down."

Danny nodded his head, then stopped and paused, a smile crossing his face. "But who said we have to do it alone?" he asked. The others turned to him in confusion. "Something this big will not only affect us, it will affect everything." He said.

"Including the Ghost Zone." Sam said, the boy's plan dawning on her.

Danny nodded. "The ghosts in the Zone wouldn't lift a finger to help us, but they would to help themselves. If we can convince them of the dangers that are coming, then we might be able to get their help." He said.

"You want to ask the _ghosts_ for help?" Jack ashed, disbelief in his voice.

"Well what other choice do we have. We can't defeat an army of _thousands_ by ourselves, not without an army of our own." Danny explained. Robin lowered his gaze as he thought over the plan. Finally, he raised his head. "Danny's right. If we're going to do this, we're going to need help." He said, giving Danny a reassuring look.

Danny nodded and turned back to the group. "Okay, here's what we do..."

* * *

 **1 hour later**

Danny, Sam, Robin and Raven all stood beside the Specter Speeder **,** the vehicle ready to enter the Ghost Zone. Robin had divided the group into two teams; the first was to enter the Ghost Zone and retrieve as many allies as possible. The second, consisting of Jazz, Tucker, Valerie, Cyborg, Beastboy, Starfire, Jack and Maddie, would stay behind and watch over the city, they would call if anything started happening, as well as contacting the Titans East and the Justice League, warning both teams of anything that would happen.

Jazz hugged her brother tightly. "Be careful, alright?" She pleaded. Danny gave her a small smile. "Aren't I always?" He smirked slightly. Jazz chuckled and gave him a light punch on the arm as she stepped back. Danny turned away, only to feel a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned back to see his mother and father gazing down at him.

Maddie knelt down and wrapped her arms around the boy, Jack doing the same. She pulled away and placed a hand to his cheek. "Go get 'em sweetie." She said quietly. Danny nodded, a small smile gracing his lips, their earlier argument forgotten for a brief moment.

"Danny," Robin called. Danny nodded and broke away, giving his family one last glance, then boarding the Speeder with the rest of the group. "We ready?" He asked. They nodded. Danny took a deep breath and started the rockets, the vehicle surging forward into the swirling portal.

After a second, Danny's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the Zone. He saw Valerie shiver in the corner of his eyes, remembering the girl had only been in the Zone once before, and it was when they were being mercilessly hunted. "Okay - First stop, The Far Frozen." He said to the group as he pushed forward on the handle, the rocket boosting forward.

After a while, a large white mass could be seem, a bright contrast to the dark green of the sky. Danny continued onward, landing among the ice and snow. He quickly exited the Speeder, followed by the others. "Come on." He said as he started hovering over the snow.

It didn't take long for their small group to quickly become surrounded by a large herd of Yeti-Ghosts. They quickly bowed, showing their respect. Danny placed a hand on one of the yetis he knew fairly well, Tundra. "No time for that, Tundra. We have an emergency. We _have_ to see Frostbite." He said urgently. Tundra's fast contorted in worry as he nodded quickly. "Of course." He said, guiding the group farther into the snowy landscape until they finally arrived at the large village of the Far Frozen.

The other yetis broke off as Tundra led the teens into the heart of the village, arriving in a large fortress of solid ice. The walls glistened and shone as light gleamed and shimmered off the crystal blocks of frost. Frostbite stood at the head of a large table, different yetis around the table as well, some with different battle scars as well as frozen limbs. Tundra silently motioned for the teens to remain quiet as the yeti stepped forward. Danny could make out the conversation the group of Yeti-Ghosts were loudly discussing.

"Haven't you all sensed something is off?" A female asked, slamming her fists down onto crystal table.

"Every ghost in the _zone_ has sensed something is off!" One of the larger snowmonsters exclaimed, the left side of his face encased in ice.

"Then what are _we_ to do about it?" Another asked, a large scar running down from his shoulder to the middle of his arm.

"Well we can't just sit around and do nothing! We all saw how well that turned out with Pariah!" Frostbite growled at the council.

The large monster quickly whipped around as Tundra approached. "A thousand pardons, sire. But..." He broke off as he glanced back at Danny and co.

Frostbite's angered demeanor quickly shifted into shock as his gaze fell upon Danny. "Great One?" He called in confusion. Danny quickly flew up to him. "Frostbite. We need your help." He said curtly. Frostbite blinked at him for a moment, then nodded his head. "Whatever is needed."

Danny opened his mouth to continue, but the Yeti added,

"If I may ask, what is the matter? Us in the Ghost Zone have felt a great imbalance." Frostbite said, a nervous tint in his blue eyes.

Danny hesitated for a moment, then sighed and stared back at the yeti. "The Gem of Zith has been taken."

All in the room gasped. Frostbite's eyes widened. "That cannot be!" He gaped. Danny lowered his head. "I'm afraid it is. It's starting to become active...along with the Armies of Hell." He said in a solemn tone. Frostbite growled and turned away. "That army is said to be one of the most formidable in all of history."

Danny nodded. "Which is why we're trying to collect a team of our own." He explained. Frostbite nodded in understanding. He raised his gaze and opened his mouth to respond, only to pause when a voice broke through.

"You're not seriously considering fighting the Armies of Hell, are you?" The scarred monster asked in disbelief.

Frostbite turned back to him. "Either that, or we all perish." He growled, pushing himself into the monster's face. The yeti opened his mouth, but quickly shut it, obviously thinking better of it. Frostbite narrowed his eyes and turned back to Danny. "We're with you, Great One." He said in a firm tone. "What do you need us to do?" He asked.

Danny turned to gaze at the other yetis, then back at Frostbite. "Just be ready with the best of your armies at the Fenton Ghost Portal in three hours." He said. Frostbite nodded in understanding. Danny turned away, only to feel a strong grip on his wrist. He twisted around to gaze at the yeti. "By cautious my friend." Frostbite pleaded, worry evident in his voice.

Danny gave him a small smile and threw his arms around the snow ghost. He turned away and nodded to his friends, who followed him out of the room. Danny could make out the last few traces of Frostbite commanding the group of yetis and the words brought a wide grin onto his face.

"Well what are you waiting for? Assemble our best troops!"

* * *

 **Skulker's Lair**

"Are you sure Skulker's really the best ghost to go to?" Sam asked in the passenger seat of the Speeder, Robin mirroring her questioning look as he navigated the large vehicle through the swirling air. Danny turned his head. "Well...most of the ghosts in the Zone seem to listen to him, for some reason..." He said as he flew beside the machine.

"If we can convince him of the troubles occurring, then we might have a chance." He explained. Robin nodded in understanding. "Well whatever we're doing, we better do it fast. Who knows how much time we have until the Gem's power is released."

"We might have some time. The book explained that when the Gem and the Amulet are brought together, it take some time for the energy in them to balance out with each other," Raven explained in her ever present monotone. "If Plasmius JUST stole the Gem, then it might be a while until they're activated at full power."

Sam shuddered slightly. "Still, just the thought of them having _that_ much power gives me the chills." She said, rubbing her arms for added warmth and comfort.

Danny suddenly slowed up, signalling for Robin to do the same as a large island with large stones that resembled the shape of a human skull was seen. He narrowed his eyes. "Stay sharp, guys." He ordered as the Speeder started to land.

Robin, Raven and Sam cautiously exited the vehicle and regrouped around Danny, who warily scanned the area around them. He silently signaled for the others to follow him as he started walking through the jungle, the environment eerily quiet. Not the sound of a bird r the snap of a twig could be heard around them. He turned his head slightly as he continued to walk. "Uhhh...is it just me, or is the 'World's Greatest Hunter' slacking off a bit?" He asked.

Before the others could respond, large metal prongs sprung out of the ground, the tips sparking with electricity. The others whipped around in confusion as they started to hum to life. The electricity surged forward, Danny barely managing to produce a shield around them before the objects shot out. He sighed in relief as they slowly sank back into the ground, only to stiffen as Skulker flew down from the top of the trees and blast him back.

"It's just you!" Skulker growled as he landed roughly on the ground. Robin and Sam quickly helped Danny up, jumping into defensive stances along with Raven. "Foolish of you to come here, child! The ghost sneered.

Sam clenched her fists. "In case you haven't noticed, you're outnumbered!" She smirked, only to falter in confusion as Skulker smirked himself. "Then you might want to count again." He sneered.

Suddenly, the trees and foliage around them parted to reveal that they weren't alone.

Ember glared down at the group as her hand lay poised over her guitar, the blue flames that made up her hair dancing wildly behind her head as her anger flared. Technus stood next to her, his arms crossed as his cape billowed behind him, the glare produced from his glasses hiding his eyes, which surely would have been filled with spite.

Desiree floated above them, her hands glowed with energy as she stared down at the teens, Walker and his goons lined up next to her, batons in hand. Johnny 13 revved his bike, Kitty sitting behind him in the vehicle, with Shadow growling at their feet as he stared daggers at Phantom.

Spectra narrowed her eyes as she grit her teeth, vengeance flaring in the back of her head as her eyes fell upon the teen, Bertrand doing the same besides her. Poindexter flew high above their heads, riding on the back of Dora in dragon form, the young girl curious as to why Phantom had come to Skulker's lair, but ready to intervene if anything got out of hand.

Youngblood grinned wickedly as he made a face at the group of teens, his parrot rolling his eyes and sighing in exasperation at the young boy's antics. Lunchlady gripped a large metal spoon in her hand as she snarled at Danny.

To say the least, none of them looked happy to see the group of teens, especially Danny.

Skulker stalked forward, the teens stiffening as they glared at the ghost. "Why are you here?" He growled menacingly. Danny lowered his gaze and relaxed his body, the glow in his hands dimming down as he lowered his arms and stared at the ghost in the eyes. "We need your help." He finally stated solemnly.

Skulker narrowed his eyes, but allowed the boy to continue.

"As you know, the Gem of Zith was stolen. But so was the Ark Amulet, and now, both artifacts are in the hands of Plasmius and an ally of his." He said to the group of ghosts. "With it, they can raise the Armies of Hell, something we can't defeat on our own. We _need_ the help of the ghosts in the ghost zone. We can't defeat them on out own." Danny explained.

Skulker growled, exposing his metal teeth. He stalked forward and grabbed the boy by the front of his shirt, yanking him up so that their eyes met. "Why would we ever help you?" He snarled, many of the ghosts above and around them thinking the same thing.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Because if he conquers our world, he'll most certainly move on to ours." He said, pausing as his words rang out through the clearing. Silence fell upon the murmuring ghosts as they exchanged concerned glanced. "Think about it. What makes you think they'll be content with just _our_ dimension? They'll most certainly move onto yours when they're done with ours. And something tells me you don't want a fruitloop as master around here." He smirked slightly. He faced Skulker once more. "You have to help, or the fate of our world will become the fate of yours."

Skulker roughly threw the boy back down onto the ground. "You don't know that for certain." He snarled.

Danny raised his head and stared at the ghost. "But do you really want to take that chance?"

Skulker narrowed his eyes at the teen, only to have a voice break him out of his thoughts. "Maybe he's right, Skulker." Ember said suddenly, still gently strumming the strings on her guitar. Walker whipped around to face her. "You're actually siding with that little punk?!" Ember crossed her arms and glared back at him. "Hey! I hate that dipstick too, but blasting him to oblivion when he might be onto something probably isn't the best plan!" She snapped.

Spectra sighed. "As much as I _hate_ to admit it, the girl does have a point."

"Maybe he can help us." Poindexter shouted out from his place atop the dragon. Skulker huffed. "Please! What value does this little whelp hold for us?!" He sneered. Danny narrowed his eyes. "How about I defeated the Ghost King _and_ I know who we're dealing with a lot more than you all do." He pointed out.

Skulker snarled and turned away, contemplating whether his prey was correct. Suddenly they all were jolted out of their thoughts as an all to familiar voice rang out through the clearing. "BEWARE! FOR I AM THE BOX GHOST!" A loud collective groan resided throughout the area as a certain blue-skinned ghost burst through the shrubbery and into view. "TREMBLE IN FEAR OF MY AWESOME POWER AND PRAY FOR M-" His rant was cut short as a collection of nets, soundwaves, blasts, firebolts and gadgets were hurled at him. "Great, who invited Crate Creep?" Ember growled.

Box Ghost pouted at the comment. "I AM THE BOX GHOST!" He shouted once more, only to end up with a slab of sticky ectoplasm slapped over his mouth as Danny chucked it in his direction. "See, I'm already helping." The boy smirked as he blasted the ghost back into the bushes.

He turned back to Skulker and the rest of the ghosts. "Please, both our worlds need help. If not, they'll BOTH be destroyed."

Skulker lowered his gaze as various thought ran through his head. Danny glanced back at Robin and the others, who gave him doubtful looks. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Skulker raised his head.

"What do we do?"

* * *

 **3 hours later**

Danny turned to the others as they approached in the Speeder. "How was it?" He asked as Robin pulled up beside him.

The Boy Wonder nodded. "Good, most of the ghosts agreed to meet at the portal." He reported back. Danny sighed in relief. "Same with me, and as long as the other ghosts are able to spread the message around the Zone like they agreed to, then we might actually have a chance." He said with a small smile.

The others in the Speeder nodded in agreement. Danny glanced around them and saw that most of the Zone was desolate and quiet. "Most of the ghosts should be meeting at the portal now. We'd better head back." He said as he started to fly off in the direction of the Fenton Portal.

"Explain to me why we're going to the _Fenton_ portal again." Sam asked from her seat in the vehicle.

"Most of the ghosts don't know about the new one Tucker and Cyborg built. But they _all_ know about the Fenton one, considering it was their escape route when the Ghost King was free. From there, I'l guide them back to the one in Titans Tower, considering the journey from Amity to Jump would take too long." He explained.

Sam nodded in understanding, realizing the Speeder was starting to slow down as well as Danny. The ghost boy's eyes widened at the number of ghosts around the area. Hundreds and hundreds of different ghosts, all varying in shape, size and color waited anxiously by the Ghost Portal. Most of the ghosts Danny instantly recognized including the ones he had met up with along with some new faces, including Cujo, Amorpho, Pandora, Nocturne and an army of sleepwalkers, Fright Knight, Klemper, Prince Argon and his army and many others.

Danny flew down and hovered in front of Skulker. "This is basically everyone. Your plan better work, Whelp, or else you end up on my wall." The ghost threatened as he glowered at the boy. "Uh, weren't you going to do that anyway?" Danny asked, turning away before Skulker could answer.

He turned back to Robin and the others, only to be bowled over by a black and white blur. He groaned and rubbed his head, realizing something was tightly clutching his chest. He looked down and saw...himself, only younger with white hair tied up in a ponytail as she stared back at him with bright green eyes.

"DANNY!" Danielle cried out in joy as she continued to hug him. "Danielle?" He asked in confusion, hugging her back. She pulled away and gazed up at him with a smirk on her face. "You didn't think you'd battle some mega-evil thing without me, did you?" She asked. Danny shook his head then gazed back at her with a certain question in mind. "How did you find out? How did you even get here? Last I saw you, you flew off dramatically into the sunset." He smirked.

"I brought her." A new voice cut in.

Danny gazed up and saw Clockwork slowly float down to them. Danny gazed at the ghost in confusion, watching as he transformed into an old man. "Clockwork? Why?" He asked.

"Something tells me you'll need all the ghosts you can get in this battle. Even half ghosts." He said with a smirk. Danny cocked his head. "Then why don't you help?" He asked. Clockwork shut his eyes gently, transforming into a child. "I cannot in-"

"Interfere with the time stream, blah, blah, blah...yeah, I guess I get it." Danny sighed in annoyance. He turned back to his cousin and smirked as he scruffled Dani's hair, much to the girl's displeasure. "Hey, Clockwork!" Danny called as the ghost started to fly away. The scarred ghost turned as his name was called.

"Thanks." Danny said softly with a smile. Clockwork nodded his head and cracked a smile of his own as he flew out of sight.

Danny smiled as he turned back to his friends. "So Danny, you gonna introduce us?" Robin asked with a smile, Raven looking on with mild curiosity written on her face. Danny chuckled as he glanced at his cousin, who gazed at the newcomers with interest. "Robin, Raven...this is my cousin, Dani." He said, pushing the girl out in front of him.

Dani gave a small smile and waved slightly, turning quickly back to her cousin. "I heard about what happened to you, what with the secret identity and the government and all that jazz." She said, waving her hands in twirling motions as she listed out the events. "I tried looking for you in Amity, but I couldn't find you anywhere. Then I heard about you becoming a Titan. I was actually on my way to Jump City when Clockwork came to me saying you were in the Ghost Zone and needed my help." She explained.

Danny patted her shoulder and guided her towards the Speeder, instructing her to wait with his friends. He then flew high above the large mass of ghosts and faced them. "Listen up! We're going to be facing one of the biggest challenges the Ghost Zone and the human world have ever seen. We're going to need to work together, or we'll all perish! Can you do that?!" He shouted down to the crowd.

Silence blanketed the area as the ghosts turned to face one another. Suddenly, a single voice rang out through the crowd. "I AM THE BOX GHOST! AND I-" THe blue-skinned ghost was abruptly cut off as a single blast hit him in the chest, blowing him back into the crowd.

Skulker lowered his still smoking arm and raised his head to match eyes with the boy. "We can! Now let's get this over with so we can continue to torment you!" He bellowed. The ghosts started to scream and cheer in excitement at the idea.

Danny sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "At least they're motivated." He muttered to himself. Flying down to the head of the pack, he faced the large group of entities, the Speeder quickly hovering up beside him. He gave a small smile at the people inside and turned back to the group, a determined look washing over his face.

"Let's do this!"

* * *

 **SEE! I told you guys I would get to Dani! What did I say?!**

 **Anyway, already working on the next chapter, so it should be out soon. Now that I have a Beta Reader, there should be a lot less grammatical and spelling errors in the chapters, so enjoy!**

 **Okay** **, the next few chapters will be a lot more exciting ,I can promise you that. You'll see just how much power the Gem of Zith actually has. Don't worry! Thinks are about to heat up! So, stay tuned for the next chapter: The Waiting Game!**

 **What will Plasmius and Slade unleash, and who will betray who first?**

 **Will the combined efforts of the ghosts and the Titans be able to stop them and their power?**

 **How will the others react to the Phantom look-alike when Dani arrives back at the tower?**

 **What will Danny's parents think of her?**

 **Find out next on The Ghostly Titan**


	31. Chapter 31: The Waiting Game

**Chapter 31: The Waiting Game**

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

Cyborg anxiously eyed the swirling green pattern of the portal as he nervously tapped his fingers against the computer controls. It had been hours since Danny, Robin, Sam and Raven had entered the portal and there was still no word from them. He sighed and turned his head back to the screen. No sign of approaching ecto-energy.

Cyborg jumped as a hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Jazz with her hand placed gently on his shoulder. "Maybe you should take a break," She offered gently. Cyborg sighed, glancing back at the portal, then nodded as he stood and stretched, following the girl out of the room.

As he entered the Ops Center, Cyborg realized everyone seemed just as anxious and worried as he was. Tucker and Beastboy absently stared at the TV, game controllers hanging limply in their hands, evidence of a started game but neither of them focused enough to finish. Valerie sat by the window, staring out at the calm scene of the city as she pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Starfire sat upside down on the couch, her head hanging off the edge as she twisted her thumbs together, waiting for a sign from her friends. Jack and Maddie sat by the tables, each with worried expressions written on their faces.

Everyone turned down towards the door as Cyborg and Jazz walked in, perking up as they did so. "Any news?" Valerie asked.

Cyborg sighed and shook his head. Everyone noticeably sagged as they lowered their gaze. Beastboy groaned and sank lower in his seat. "Dude! They've been gone for hours!" He exclaimed. "What's taking them so long?!"

"Rounding up every single ghost in the Ghost Zone could take a while," Jazz pointed out.

Beastboy crossed his arms. "It can't take this long." He muttered.

Cyborg shook his head, then turned his gaze to started out the large window. "Any reports?" He asked Tucker.

The boy shook his head. "Nope. Everything's been quiet." He said. "You'd think they'd want to attack as soon as possible" He pointed out. "So what's taking them so long?" Cyborg asked to nobody in particular.

Nobody said anything, for none of them had an answer. They were all on edge. Waiting for their friends, or for an enemy to attack. One had to come first. Which one though? That was the question on everyone's minds.

Starfire groaned loudly and tumbled off the couch, standing up as she faced the group. "Ooooo! I cannot wait any longer! I must know what has happened to our friends! Was their mission successful?" She asked, even though she knew none of them had the answer.

But before any of them could answer, a flashing light started blinking throughout the tower, as well as a loud alarm. Only this light wasn't red like the usual crime alert. It was green.

Cyborg and Tucker jumped up. "The Ecto-Exodus Alarm!" They both shouted in unison.

Beastboy glanced at them in confusion. "The Ecto-what?"

"The Ecto-Exodus Alarm. We have one back in Amity." Maddie exclaimed.  
"It means we're about answer your question, Star." Jazz said as the group started for the door, making their way towards the lab as quickly as possible.

In the room, the lights flashed even more urgently. The group warily stared at the portal, defenses up as they waited for whatever might come through. Suddenly, a small head broke through the swirling mass, blinking a few times as it stared back at the group of people. It was a girl with white hair and glowing green eyes that looked exceptionally like Danny.

A small hand poked through the portal as well, waving to the group. They looked at each other in confusion, then slowly waved back. The girl turned her head to stare back at the portal. "FOUND IT!" She screamed. She turned back to the group. "You might want to duck," She advised as she suddenly flew out of the portal, and hundreds and hundreds of ghosts poured out after her. The group screamed in shock and did as the girl had suggested, ducking down as the ghosts flew by over their heads, who turned intangible as they flew through the roof.

Bringing up the rear, Danny and the Specter Speeder emerged from the portal, the ghost boy going over and shutting the portal as he did so. Robin, Sam and Raven quickly exited the contraption and ran through the door. "Meet us on the roof," Robin instructed as he sped past, Danny saying the same as he flew through the roof.

The others glanced at each other, then quickly ran out the door as well.

The ghosts all circled the tower, traveling up to the top where they slowly created a large circle, the roof of the tower in the middle. Danny phased through the floor and landed on the ground, the Titans, including Valerie, Jack and Maddie all burst through the door, quickly going over to stand beside the boy. Skulker slowly flew down from his place among the ghosts, with Frostbite, Pandora, Walker and Spectra doing the same.

Danny turned back to Cyborg. "You make 'em? He asked. Cyborg nodded and handed the boy five green communicators, each having the generally same design as the Titans communicators. Danny handed each of the ghosts who stepped up one of the small green devices.

"Okay, each of you know what to do. We've split the ghosts into your separate groups," Danny said in a loud voice for all to hear.  
"Skulker, take your group and survey the east side of the city." The Hunting obsessed ghost nodded as he took the communicator from Danny, floating back a bit to give the halfa some room.  
"Pandora, you and your team will survey the west. Walker, the north, and Spectra, the south." Both ghosts nodded, momentarily glancing at each other as they reached for their communicators before joining Skulker a few feet away from the ring.  
"Frostbite, you and your team will cover Central Jump and aid where help is needed with the other groups." Danny instructed, his emerald green eyes completely serious. "Call on the communicators and alert us and the others is any suspicious activity is spotted, got it?" He finished.

They all nodded and flew up into the air, the large mass of ghosts separating into five groups. Skulker, Walker and Spectra gathered their squadrons and took off into the sky, heading for their different directions of the city. Frostbite hung back as Pandora floated above him.  
"Are you sure you will be alright, Great One?" The yeti ghost asked, gazing at his friend with concern.

Danny gave a small smile. "We'll be alright, Frostbite. Just contact if you guys find anything."  
Frostbite nodded and flew back up to Pandora, the two ghosts respectfully nodding to each other before breaking off into their groups, separating out into the city as the others had done.

Danny sighed and turned back to the others, only to find them eyeing Dani with curious looks. Sam and Tucker watched with amused looks as the others tried to figure out the mystery of the Phantom look-alike.

"Soo...does Danny have a twin sister we didn't know about?" Beastboy asked.

"I think we would know about it if he did," Maddie smirked as she walked up to the girl. Danny grinned nervously as Maddie inspected her up and down, plucking a small hair from the top of her head. "OW!" Dani grumbled as she rubbed her head, glaring slightly at the women. Maddie eyed the piece of white hair and looked back down at the girl. "Who are you?" She asked.

Dani bit her lip and glanced back at Danny, who walked over and placed a hand on the girl's shoulders. "She's...my cousin."

Maddie, Jack and Jazz all gave him confused stares, while Sam and Tucker snickered in the corner.

Danny turned back to the others. "Maybe we should continue this inside," He added, and sank through the roof, the others heading down the stairs to join him.

* * *

"I met Dani a couple months before my exposure," Danny said to the group. They all sat on and around the couch, with Danny, Dani, Sam and Tucker standing in front of them. "She's not really my cousin per say. She's...my clone." Danny added slowly and hesitantly.

"YOUR CLONE?!" Everyone shouted in unison.

Danny sighed, even though he anticipated said reaction. Maddie stood up from the couch. "Wait! If she's your clone...then who...who made her?"

Danny groaned inwardly and shifted nervously from foot to foot. He wrung his fingers as he bit his lower lip. "She...umm...she was made...by..." He stuttered nervously as he shifted his gaze around the room.  
Maddie walked over and stared down at her son. "Danny, who made her?" She asked more forcefully.

Danny sighed and raised his gaze to meet hers. "Vlad."

Maddie gasped and raised a hand to her mouth, Jack jumping up from his seat on the couch. "What?! Why, why, why would V-man do that?" He asked, words going a million miles per hour.

Danny hardened his gaze as he faced his parents. "Because Vlad Masters is Vlad Plasmius. A half ghost like me."

Maddie and Jack's eyes widened as their mouths hung open. The Titans behind them could only watch as the two tried to get the new information through their heads. Finally, Maddie broke out of her stupor. "So...so you mean the Plasmius guy we're looking for is...Vlad Masters? And...and he wants to unleash the greatest evil ever created?" She whispered quietly.

Danny nodded his head in conformation. Jack shook his head and stared at the boy, the disbelief in his eyes quite apparent. "But...but how did this even happen?"

Danny sighed as he started to explain the story. "Back in college, the portal explosion gave him powers. He used them to steal and lie his way into becoming one of the richest men in the nation. He's evil, guys," He added, glancing at his parents and Titans, Valerie not excluded. "He never forgave dad for the accident like he said. He resents him. For the accident, for his ruined life, and for stealing mom."

Jack and Maddie both gazed at him in shock at the last part. "Steal me?" Maddie gaped. "What do you mean steal me?! I never even liked him that way!" She exclaimed.

Danny shrugged his shoulders, his green eyes oddly detached from the conversation. "That's not how he sees it. He thinks dad stole you from him. He's tried to destroy dad more times than I can count, and get mom and me on his side. When I refused, he was set on destroying me."

Maddie's gaze hardened. "Why didn't you ever tell us?!" She shouted in anger.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "I knew his secret. He knew mine. If I ever told anyone about him being Plasmius, then he would tell everyone about Phantom. That was a risk I couldn't take. So...I kept it hidden, and in return, Vlad wouldn't expose me. He's not the good guy you think he is," He continued, eyes starting to harden in fury. "He's cruel, manipulative and cold-hearted. Just look at Dani!" He added, pointing to the girl who had gone over to sit next to Starfire.

Dani stood at the mention of her name, slowly walking over to Danny's outstretched arm, the boy gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "Vlad created her as my clone, along with others. He wanted to replicate the 'perfect half-ghost son', or so he claims."  
A sad look formed in Dani's eyes, and Danny continued, the anger in his voice softening. "But I don't think that was the whole truth. Danielle was a result of his delusions. She's...well she's me, just younger and more...girlish. Haven't quite figured out why yet, but nonetheless, she's my clone."

Jack and Maddie exchanged a glance at that, but turned their heads back to face Danny as he continued, emerald eyes lost in memories.

"Dani was able to see past Vlad's lies and helped me defeat him. She was finally free of him." A smirk broke out onto his face as he added, "Didn't you guys wonder why you let the three of us off so easily when we ditched school that day?" He asked as he motioned towards Sam and Tucker.

Maddie and Jack faced each other for a moment, memories and questions popping back up.

"Yeah, that was Dani." Danny clarified.

With a small shrug, he continued. "Anyway, I guess Dani was one of the only good things that came out of Vlad's crazy actions." He said with a grin, ruffling the girl's hair. Dani smiled at her 'cousin' and glanced back up at the boy. "Can I?" She asked, green eyes looking slightly pleading.

Danny smirked. "Why not?"

She beamed and giggled as a white ring appeared around her waist, traveling up and down her body until her black and white jumpsuit, white hair and green eyes were replaced with a blue sweater, red pants, black hair, blue eyes and a small red beanie on the top of her head. Even in human form, she was the spitting image of Danny.

Starfire flew forward, swirling around the girl. "Most exciting! Please,

where did you come from?

What is your favorite color?

How did you get here?

Will you be my friend?"

The alien asked quickly. Dani blinked a few times to fully digest the questions thrown at her, then smiles slightly as she answered. "Umm...Colorado, red, flew and...sure?" She answered with a nervous chuckle, unsure of what the girl's reaction would be.

Starfire squealed in delight and tightly hugged the girl, her face turning a shade of blue. Danny tapped Starfire's shoulder, causing her to turn her head as she continued to squeeze the life out of Dani.

"Killing her." He reminded her with a smirk, pointing to Dani's now purple face. Starfire smiled sheepishly and released his cousin, who gasped and swallowed in mouthfuls of air.

"My apologies. I have been...trying to tone down the enthusiasm of my hugs. My friends say they cause 'back pain.'" Starfire said, quoting the air around her. Dani rubbed the back of her head. "No problem," She said with a smile as she rotated her shoulders.

Danny smiled and turned back to his parents, his happy demeanor disappearing as he noticed the looks on their faces, especially his dad.

Pure devastation.

Jazz noticed this and walked over, trying to ease her brother's mind. She knelt down besides Dani and smiled. "You know, I always kind of wanted a little sister. I guess I can settle for a cousin."

Dani smiled back at her, gazing around the room. "So, this is where you've been hiding, Danny. Got to say it's pretty cool." She said as she slowly spun around, taking in the sight of the high-tech room.

Danny chuckled. "Yep, welcome to Home 2.0."

Maddie cringed as she heard the words come out of her son's mouth. She could tell that Jack was doing the same, giving how his body tensed up at the statement. The man narrowed his eyes, his fingers curling in anger. Maybe it was the fact that his best friend since college had turned out to be an evil half-ghost bent on destroying him, or just the idea that his son wanted to stay here, rather than go home. But it was enough.

He stood up from his seat and quickly spun around, much to everyone's surprise. "That's it. I've had enough with evil artifacts, superpowered teens, and evil ghost armies. It's time to leave." He said firmly, his voice colder than usual.

Danny's eyes widened in shock, Jazz took a confused step backwards, and even Maddie seemed surprised.

Danny stepped forward. "Dad. You can't be serious…" He started, only for Jack to cut him off.

"I'm plenty serious. Get in the RV. We're going home." He turned to Sam, Tucker and Valerie. "All of us." Jack added.

"No." Danny snarled back.

The Titans, including Sam, Tucker, Valerie and Dani all watched the fight as it unfolded, none of them wanting to come in between the feuding men. "I'm not going, Dad." Danny yelled, enveloping the whole room in silence at the statement.

"This has been my home for months! This here, this family-" he said in a softer tone as he gestured to the Titans. "-this is my future. I...I don't know if I even want to go back to Amity anymore." He realized out loud, eyes going wide at the truth.

Maddie clenched her fists at this, seeing this as the time to step in. "You're going back, young man! Count on it!" She snarled. Danny narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah? And how do you plan on doing that?" He growled in annoyance at their stubbornness.

Jack opened his mouth to retort, only to stop as the tower started to shake. Everyone yelled out in surprise as they fell to the ground from the massive and violent shaking. Danny glanced around the room.

"What's happening?!" He yelled, trying to be heard over the loud rumbling, only to be thrown to the ground once again.

Danny felt a vibrating in his pocket and reached inside, pulling out the Titan communicator. He pressed the button on the top and placed the device to his ear.

"Do you feel this? The ground shaking? It's happening all over town!" Skulker shouted from his end.

"We feel it, Skulker. We feel it." Danny said over the device.

Raven's eyes widened. "I remember reading about this. The violent tremors? It is the sign that the gem is almost ready," She said in her monotone, but panic edged her voice.

The shaking continued to tremble throughout the tower, various objects being flung from their spots, shattering as they hit the ground. Danny grunted as he was slammed into the large window at the side of the room. He glanced out at the city and gasped. The ocean around them was splashing and tumbling, hitting against the rocks below them. The city beyond it was noticeably trembling. Glass in some parts of the tower started to shatter, the walls around them starting to crumble piece by piece.

Danny turned back to the others. "It must be close to activating!" He realized as a clap of thunder was heard overhead.

"Wasn't it sunny five minutes ago?!" Beastboy shouted as he was once again flung to the side.

"Get ready, guys," Robin warned as the rumbling started to cease, only for a bright funnel of light to explode out into the sky, seemingly coming from the heart of Jump City.

"Things are about to get intense."

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

 **Moments earlier**

Plasmius paced behind the closed door, the light that shone through underneath being the only indication that the gem hadn't been moved since the last time he had seen it. He growled as another minute went by. He had been waiting for hours. Surely the gem was ready by now.

He narrowed his eyes at Slade's actions earlier. How did the man seem to know so much about the gem and its power? He was human. It's not like he could wield the power for himself. A human wielding the power of a million ghosts? HA! The idea was laughable. So, what did Slade truly plan for the gem and its power?

He was thrown from his thoughts as the light under the door started to quickly intensify. He groaned and raised a hand to block the blinding light, only to yell out in surprise as a loud explosion sounded in the room and the door in front of him was blown from its hinges. He coughed and waved his hand in front of him, clearing out the dust and smoke that hung thick in the air. He jumped as a shadow crossed over him, leaping up only to meet gazes with Slade.

"It's time." Was all the man said as he entered the room without hesitation. Plasmius narrowed his eyes and headed in after him.

The room shone with an eerie red light, swirls of black shadows dancing across the walls as the two men entered. The table the two artifacts had been sitting on had splintered and was now scattered across the room. The Gem of Zith glowed a luminescent black, while the Ark Amulet shone with a red tint. The two sat side by side on the concrete floor, which seemed to darken and burn with every moment the two artifacts were in contact with it.

Plasmius grinned wickedly as he stepped forward. "It's finally done! World domination is in my grasp!" He shrieked in joy flying down to scoop up the two pieces, only to scream out in pain as white hot heat spread out from his shoulder and to the rest of his body. He crumpled to the ground and thrashed in pain as the heat encased his form. Vlad turned his head to see a piece of glowing green rock embedded in his shoulder.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Plasmius." Slade said coldly as he stepped forward, slowly pacing in front of the withering man. Vlad stared daggers at the human as Slade walked back and forth, smirking underneath his mask.

"What did you do to me?" Vlad cried out as another spasm of pain racked his body.

"Just a little bit of Ectoranium. Can't have you doing anything idiotic now, can we?" Slade sneered as he walked closer to the glowing artifacts.

Plasmius' eyes widened as he realized what Slade was planning. "Slade, you…you can't wield the power. It wasn't meant for humans! It's IMPOSSIBLE!" He shouted as the man picked up the Gem of Zith in one hand, and the Ark Amulet in the other.

"So is being half-ghost, yet here you are…Masters." Slade replied coldly.

Plasmius' mouth hung ajar for a moment, then quickly corrected himself as Slade sneered at him behind the mask.

"Slade, you can't! You're a MADMAN!" Vlad screamed. Slade paused from his task and stared down at the shaking man.

"That may be so, Plasmius. Then again...sanity is for the weak." He whispered as he brought his hands closer together, joining the two artifacts.

"NO!" Plasmius screamed as the room was enveloped in a bright light.

Slade screamed out in pain as heat traveled through his body, coursing up and down his veins, making his blood boil. The conjoined artifacts started to spin rapidly in the air as they started flashing red. The newly encrusted Gem of Zith hovered in the air for a moment, then quickly attached to Slade's chest, right below his collarbone. The cold metal of the Amulet and shine of the crystal seemed to embed itself into his chest plate, melding together with it at the sides.

His body started to shake as energy from the gem started to leak out and sink into his body. For the first time, it was experiencing combining with a human, rather than a ghost. Slade's mask started to crack, leaking out red light from along the lighting shaped indents. The metal from his mask started to travel throughout his body, climbing down to his arms, his legs, his torso, until his whole body was covered head to toe in what seemed like liquid metal, the black crystal dead in the center of his chest.

Finally, the light around Slade started to dim as he floated back down to the ground. Plasmius lowered his hand that had been shielding his eyes from the light. Now, standing before him was a man unlike he had ever seen. He was covered in glowing black metal armor, streaks of orange slashed in various places around the metal. His eyes glowed a piercing red from behind his mask, which now had many deep cracks at the corners of the eyes. In his hand was now a beautiful silver sword with an orange-tinted handle as well as deep black etches running up and down the blade. His whole body seemed to glow translucently, giving off a ghostly aura, an impossible feat for a human, now created by the ghostly power coursing through his veins.

Slade grinned wickedly as he flexed his hands, feeling immense power coursing through his fingertips. "Excellent," He growled, his voice deep and menacing. He turned his head to the scythe now in his hand. He twisted it around and slashed it across the air in front of him, a large blast of fire sparking from the tip shot out, destroying the wall in front of him.

Plasmius gasped and shielded himself as debris flew through the air. Slade's grin widened at the action. "Time to see what this gem can really do." He sneered as he flew up, phasing through the room of the lair, much to Plasmius' shock.

* * *

 **Central Jump City**

 **Present time**

Slade turned tangible as he stepped onto the pavement. He gazed around at the city surrounding him. People on the streets stopped to stare as he stood in the center of the road, scythe in hand. He grinned wickedly.

"I think they've gotten enough sleep. Time to play."

He swung the staff above over his head and brought it down crashing onto the ground below, the tip driving down and cutting through the pavement like butter, stopping where it connected to the staff. The street around the point started to crack and split apart. The people on the road and surrounding places gasped and started to scream as the ground under them began to split apart.

Terror flooded through the citizens as they fled the scene, sprinting about like frightened animals. The cracks in the ground continued to travel throughout the city, splitting farther and farther apart until a dark green sky could be seen between them.

Silence enveloped the now still area as people found cover in surrounding buildings. Slade watched the cracks intensely, waiting for the fun to truly arrive. He didn't have to wait long.

Soon a pair of glowing red eyes blinked up from one of the crack, followed by another, and another, until each and every crack seemed to be crawling with shadows and blinking red eyes. Suddenly the cracks in the earth exploded, creatures of all shapes and sizes flooding out like cockroaches from a sink. It was as if a volcano had erupted all over town, the masses and masses of different entities exploding out from the street.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the movement from the cracks ceased, the splits shrinking until they closed up. But it didn't matter. Now, standing in the streets, flooding the sky, the ground, even the bay around the city, were flaming monsters. Wolf-like creatures with burning tails to two headed saber-tooth tigers that burned the pavement with every step they took.

The Armies of Hell.

Slade flew up to gaze down at his army of glowing orange and red creatures that littered the streets. There were so many on the ground and in the sky that you could barely see the pavement they stood on. Only fiery monsters, blazing up the area with sounds of chaos and hell.

The man grinned as his new army faced him, awaiting orders.

"BURN IT ALL!"

* * *

 **Man, I bet you guys can't wait for the next chapter, huh?**

 **Well don't worry! The next one should be out soon. Probably sometime next week, but it could be sometime this weekend, depending how much I'm able to work on it. Well, the next few chapters should be really interesting for you guys, so you have that to look forward to.**

 **Anyway, find out what happens next on The Ghostly Titan!**


	32. Chapter 32: Blazing Heat

**Chapter 32: Blazing Heat**

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

The group ran to the window as the pillar of light expanded over the whole city, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. The others glanced at each other in confusion, then gasped as they noticed small explosions occurring throughout the streets of the city, fiery monsters escaping through the cracks made in the concrete.

Robin glanced at the others. "Okay, Danny, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Starfire, Beastboy, Valerie and me will head into the city to see what's going on, while the rest of you stay here and monitor the situation. Raven, I need you to alert the chief of police about this. Tell him and the mayor to evacuate the city." Raven nodded her head, and moved for the door. Robin ignored this and resumed dishing out tasks. "We'll call in if the situation's as bad as it looks from up here."

He explained, the teens he had called running forward and out the door.

Danny hung back and glanced at his parents, who each gave him looks of concern. He lowered his gaze and ran out the door.

Robin stood in the doorway and gazed back at Cyborg. "Cy, if things look bad, call the League and the Titans East. We'll need all the help we can get." He said grimly. Cyborg nodded in understanding, Robin running out the door as he did so.

Danny hovered in the air, Sam standing next to him, the others lined up in the garage. Robin jumped into the R-Cycle, Jazz climbing on behind him. Valerie charged up her hoverboard and Tucker hopped on beside her. Starfire flew up into the air, Beastboy transforming into a bird next to her. Danny extended a hand to Sam, and she gripped it tightly as Danny pulled her up in the air next to him.

Robin faced the group. "Let's go!"

* * *

 **Central Jump City**

Slade watched with satisfaction as the monsters ran up and down the streets, flying through the air, destroying whatever they saw fit. He smiled at the destruction as the creatures burned the wretched city. A city he so terribly despised. A city protected by a team of...of children!

He smirked at the thought. Suddenly, he heard the sound of engines roaring closer. He flew higher up into the air to see the Titans approaching quickly. He grinned wickedly. "Soon, Titans. Soon." He said as he disappeared in a plume of orange smoke.

Robin gasped and slammed on the break, tires screeching against the pavement as he skidded to a stop. "You okay?" He called over his shoulder. Jazz nodded, her eyes widening as she stared at the scene in front of her. Danny flew down next to them, gently setting Sam on the ground beside him. Starfire, Beastboy and Valerie landed next to them. Starfire gasped and placed a hand over her mouth.

"Dude..." Beastboy gaped, the others having similar reactions around him.

Littered around the streets and in the sky above it were fiery monsters of every shape and size, each crashing through the streets and burning the pavement under their feet. Beastboy turned back to the others. "Hehe...anybody got a fire extinguisher?" He asked with a nervous laugh, earning himself eight glares from his teammates.

Robin narrowed his eyes as the monsters around them turned away from their destruction and faced the group with burning red eyes. He tightly gripped his bo-staff as he pulled it out from behind him, twirling it in front of him before holding on tightly with both hands, Jazz doing the same with her own weapon. Danny flew down next to him, hands glowing a bright blue, his eyes burning with the same bright tint. Sam flexed her gloved hands, purple electricity coursing through them. Starfire hovered above them, her eyes sparking with green light. Beastboy transformed into a gorilla, slamming his fists down into the pavement underneath him. Valerie raised her hand, various blasters appearing around her body as well as her board. Tucker grabbed his glowing green whip, cracking it down on the pavement in front of him.

The group formed a tight circle as the group of monsters surrounded them on all sides. Robin glared around him at the army. "Titans GO!"

They surged forward into the blazing inferno surrounding them.

* * *

Danny gasped as a group of birds flew up, headed straight for him, fiery wings creating trails of smoke behind them. The Ghost Boy narrowed his eyes and flew higher into the air, watching as the birds followed close on his tail. He spun around to face them, blasting a wave of cold in their direction, hitting the birds head on.

They screeched in anger as their bodies were encased in ice, their wings freezing over, causing them to hurtle to the ground. Danny nodded in satisfaction, turning away, only to gasp and turn back when he heard the sound of cracking ice. The fiery wings were now starting to melt through the ice, breaking apart right before the birds hit the ground, swinging back up into the air.

Danny groaned in frustration, only go cry out as a large force hit him in the side, knocking him down to the ground. He groaned as he raised a hand to his head, glancing up to see what it him. The three birds screeched once more as they circled high overhead, watching the events unfold, waiting until their time to strike.

A loud growling made the boy turn his head. Standing over him towered a large bear, flames licking at its paws as it raised its claws, intent on striking down on the boy. Danny raised his hands, producing a green shield that covered his body, protecting himself from the large beast as it beat against the dome. Danny groaned at the pressure being applied to the shield, pushing forward with an ecto-blast, driving the bear back as the shield grew.

Dropping the dome, Danny flew back into the air, shooting a barrage of blue bolts at the fiery bear, the creature roaring in fury at the attack. Suddenly, searing heat spread through Danny's arms as he was dragged back through the air, the birds clinging tightly to his arms as they dove towards the ground, prey in tow. Danny groaned in pain as their talons dug into his flesh, the fire from their talons burning away at his skin.

Danny concentrated on his ice core, sending a large wave out, freezing the birds once more in a solid block of ice, but his victory was short lived as he started to plummet to the ground, their talons still gripping him tightly. He cried out and broke free from their grip, his shoulders bleeding as he started blasting the ice with a green ecto-energy ray as they fell, shattering the birds into a million pieces of black ash, their dust blowing away into the breeze.

He sighed in satisfaction, taking a moment to catch his breath, only to yelp in shock as large teeth sunk into his ankle, dragging him back down to the ground and claws raked across his side, drawing blood. He gasped as the bear loomed over him once more, standing on its hind legs, claws extended as it brought them down to the ground, intent on squashing the boy under its fiery paws.

* * *

Sam reared back, connecting her fist with the skeleton in front of her, successfully cracking the bones that made up the creature, snapping its neck backwards. She gasped as the creature slowly cracked its neck back into place, fiery orange eyes glowing menacingly as it advanced, spear and shield in hand, three others joining by its side.

Suddenly they were entangled together by a glowing green whip, yanking them down to the ground. Tucker landed besides the girl. "I had everything under control." She said, crossing her arms. Tucker grinned at her. "I know you did. I just like to annoy you." He smirked, sticking his tongue out at her. She growled at him, punching the ground in front of her, sending shockwaves through it, knocking the skeletons off their feet and back onto the pavement.

Tucker jumped forward, cracking his whip on top of the undead soldiers, scattering their bones as they were destroyed by the force of the whip. Landing back on the ground, Tucker rolled back onto his feet, grinning as he glanced around at the scattered bones, only to gasp as they started to shake and roll back together, reforming the skeleton once more.

Sam raised her hands, purple blasts shooting out from her outstretched palms, hitting the soldier in the ribs, sending his bones scattering once more. Only this time, Sam ran over and smashed one of the bones with her foot, picking up another and crushing it in her gloves.

She turned back to Tucker, who was still trying to figure out how the creatures were reforming. She tossed him a bone. "You need to literally crush them!" She shouted as she turned back to another skeleton as it charged her.

Tucker glanced down at the bone, dropping it in surprise as it started to shake and vibrate, crushing it under his foot as he did so. He shuddered and turned back to the remaining skeletons, jumping over next to Sam, cracking his whip in the ground, driving the creatures back step by step.

* * *

Starfire gasped and dove to the ground as the tail whipped across empty air. She turned back to the abnormally large snake, the creature hissing furiously as it bared its dripping fangs. It dove to the ground, slithering across it faster than normal, Starfire flying out of its range moments before it struck the ground she had stood on seconds earlier.

She flew higher into the air, her hands glowing a bright green as she fired a barrage of starbolts down on the fiery serpent. It hissed in rage and coiled up, springing into the air, wrapping its long body around the girl.

She screamed as it dragged her back down toward the ground, slowly constricting itself around her. She groaned and struggled against her captor. Her eyes glowed an electric green as she lit up her hands once more, breaking free from the snake's grip as she flew back into the air, only to be slammed back down.

She groaned and glanced back up, dodging out of the way as a pair of hooves slammed down on the spot she had been occupying. She growled and raised an arm, prepared to blast back the horse, only to stare in confusion at the creature in front of her. It _looked_ like a horse, but had the upper body of a human. "Most unusual..." She muttered as she blasted the centaur back anyway, sending it flying towards the cars behind it.

She sighed in relief, only to yelp in shock as a pair of teeth crunched through the ground in front of her, the snake attached to them hissing as it faced her once again. She flew back into the air, eyes flickering in fury as she fired another round of starbolts, these aimed specifically at the creatures' fiery head, hitting their target straight on.

She landed back on the ground as the smoke cleared, gasping at the sight in front of her. The snake now lay on the ground, unmoving, open wound now in the place it's head used to be, the flames that had originally flared around its body now flickering as they died out. She raised a hand to her mouth.

"I did not mean to 'kick the butt' so hard." She said with concern.

Suddenly, the creature started to twitch as its body started to flicker. She gasped as it raised up from the floor, the flames returning to its body once more, his head slowly reforming, along with another identical one next to it. Landing on the ground once more, the two-headed snake charged the girl once more.

Starfire sighed. "I guess I did not kick it hard _enough_!" She yelled as she dove straight for the creature once more.

* * *

Jazz slammed her staff down onto the griffin's wings, the creature roaring in pain as its limb was forcefully crushed. It reared up onto its hind legs and swiped at the air, knocking the girl down as she leapt over its head.

She groaned and pushed herself up off the ground, gasping as the fiery beast loomed over her. It growled as it raised on of its flaming paws, only to yelp in surprise as a red blur knocked into it, sending it reeling to the ground.

Valerie glared down at the creature from her board as blasters appeared around her shoulders, various blasts shooting down towards the creature, creating a plume of smoke that washed over the area around them. Lowering her board, she retracted the device back into the bottom of her feet, running forward towards Jazz, extending a hand for the girl, who gratefully accepted it.

"Did you get it?" Jazz asked as they looked back towards the rubble pile where the creature once stood. The large mass started to rumble and shake, exploding in all directions as the griffin shot out from under it. "Nope!" Valerie shouted in response as she raised an arm, a large blaster popping out, spraying a trail of ecto-goo.

The creature roared and flared its wings, jumping into the air. It turned towards the girls, spreading its wings wide, the tips of the feathers turning a bright shade of orange as they started to glow. The creature growled as it flapped its wings down hard in their direction, fiery blasts shooting out from the tips of the feathers.

Jazz grabbed Valerie's forearm, yanking the girl out of the way of the blast, the force knocking the two onto the ground. The griffin roared, diving back down towards its distracted prey. Leaping forward, the creature lunged, pinning Valerie onto the ground, pressing its red-hot claws sown into her shoulders. She cried out in pain as the creature dug its claws into her arms.

Jazz narrowed her eyes and swung her staff hard into the side of the griffin's head, knocking the animal back. "You okay?" She asked as she knelt down besides the girl. Valerie groaned and pushed herself up. "More or less," She said with a sigh, and jumped back to her feet as another roar echoed throughout the area.

* * *

Beastboy screamed as the dog charged, one of the three heads clamping its teeth down on the spot he had been seconds ago. The green hummingbird flew up into the air above the massive dog, transforming into a whale as it landed hard on the ground, crushing the truck-sized dog underneath him. He smiled in satisfaction, (or about as close to a smile as a whale can get) only to widen his eyes in surprise and pain as a burning heat started to flare up from underneath him.

He transformed into a kangaroo, leaping away as far as he could, rubbing his now blackened belly. Okay, so maybe crushing the fire-based creature underneath himself wasn't the best plan. The dog shook itself as it leapt from the crater that now lay in the middle of the street, gazing around for its prey. It growled as its eyes fell upon him.

Beastboy yelped as the dog charged, transforming into a mouse as he scurried right under the creature's outstretched paws, only to squeal in terror as a pair of talons reached out for him. He transformed into a cat, swiping his claws at the hawk as it tried to snatch him. The bird squawked in anger as it flared its wings, talons scraping across the cat's flesh as the animal defended itself.

Beastboy growled, shifting into a velociraptor and clamped his teeth down on the hawk's feathery tail, only to roar in pain as a trail of fire spiraled down from the bird's head down to the tail, burning his muzzle.

Transforming into a tiger, Beastboy growled and reared up on his hind legs as he swiped at the air, intent on clipping this bird's wings, only to be rammed in the side by the dog once more. The creature bared its teeth as it lowered its head, making eye contact with the green tiger as its paws burned into the cat's fur. Beastboy growled and kicked up with is back legs, throwing the dog off himself and into the pavement behind him.

Beastboy transformed back into himself, panting hard as he placed a hand om his knees, trying to catch his breath, only to gasp as the hawk cried out once more, diving straight for him. "Come ON!" He groaned as he transformed into a pterodactyl and took off to the skies once more.

* * *

Robin growled as he slid under the claws of a fiery lion, blazing mane flickering behind its head. He reached into his utility belt and picked out three discs, throwing them behind him as he passed the monster. They exploded as they came into contact with the creature, encasing it in a solid block of ice.

Robin smirked in satisfaction, only to gasp as the ice started to crack and melt away, breaking the lion out if its ice prison, angrier than before. The creature narrowed its eyes and opened its mouth, roaring loudly, flames shooting out of its open maw. Robin gasped and leapt out of the way of the oncoming blast, only to come face to face with a large black wolf, large cracks running across its rocky body revealing orange light coming from beneath.

Robin narrowed his eyes and twirled his staff, slamming it down onto the creature's shoulder, sending more cracks running through its body. _At least I seem to be causing damage to this one,_ Robin thought grimly as he threw a pair of explosives at the monster. He landed on the ground, trying to catch his breath as the smoke cleared, only to gasp as the dust died down, revealing a devastating fact.

He hadn't hurt it at all.

In fact, he seemed to be helping it. The rocky covering had now fallen away, revealing its true fiery form underneath. The lion stalked forward, joining the wolf as the two creatures slowly advanced forward, driving the boy back. Robin reached into his pocket, grabbing his communicator as he brought it up to his mouth.

"Cyborg!" He called.

" _What do you need, Rob?"_ The metal boy called over the communicator.

"I need you guys to get over here now. We're going to need help. And Cy...I need you to make a call." Robin explained.

" _Who do you need?"_ The boy asked.

Robin felt his heartbeat quicken as he heard the clanking of metal above his head. He looked up to see a large orange bird clinging to the fire escape above his head, glaring down at him as the two creatures in front of him continued to stalk forward, intent on catching their prey. Robin gripped the communicator tightly.

"Everyone."

* * *

Slade watched from a safe distance the battle as it raged on, the Titans slowly being driven back as his forces drove them to their limits. He chuckled darkly. This was only a small portion of his vast army. An army capable of anything.

He grinned wickedly and stared down at the gem secured to his chest, feeling the power pulse every few moments, filling him with energy, with power, with _malice_.

"Soon my army will wipe out that pathetic team and nothing will stand in my way of total domination. I will _rule_!" He shouted in anticipation, cackling evilly as a trail of orange flames danced around him, whisking him away.

* * *

 **25 brutal minutes later**

Danny groaned as he pushed himself up once more. Reaching behind him, he pulled out him communicator. "Skulker, Frostbite! Status!" He shouted. Muffled fighting could be heard over the device. " _It is not looking good, Great One. There are too many!"_ Frostbite growled.

 _"We're being overpowered!"_ Skulker shouted, blasting heard from over the communicator. Danny gazed at the device with worry, only to cry out in shock as a powerful blow from one of the bear's claws hit him in the jaw, knocking him back. "You and me both." He groaned quietly, sitting up slowly, eyes widening as the bear charged once more.

The boy flew up into the air, charging his hands up with energy as he blasted the pavement in front of the creature with ice, freezing the concrete below, the bear sliding past him, ramming headfirst into one of the cars that lined the street, adding to the list of damaged cars that littered the scene. Danny glanced around at the smoking cars and broken building. "Man, I hope these people have insurance." He winced.

Suddenly, an orange blur knocked into him, sending him crashing to the ground. Glancing up, he saw that the birds had returned with a vengeance. He groaned in frustration. "I thought I got rid of you pests!" He growled as he flew back into the air, blasting at the bird with blue bolts. The creatures dove and twisted around the blasts, shooting forward once more.

Danny gasped as the bird grabbed him in their talons, dragging him down towards the ground. They released right before hitting the ground, pulling up as they allowed the boy to hit the pavement full force. Danny groaned as he raised himself up slower than before, only to feel teeth sink into his side as the bear grabbed him and threw him back down towards the ground a few feet away.

Danny skidded across the pavement, stopping as his body slammed into one of the cars. His eyes glowed blue as he grit his teeth and fired a large blast straight at the bear's chest. A large blue explosion resulted, shrouding the area in a blue frost. Once the smoke cleared, the bear lay on the ground, ashes all that remained. Danny flew forward, freezing the ashes on a solid block of ice.

He groaned and fell onto his hands and knees as he was finally able to rest for a moment. But that moment was short-lived as a screech filled the air. He groggily raised his head, his moth dropping at the sight in front of him. A large creature stood before him unlike anything he had ever seen. It had the head of a lion, goat and dragon, large reptilian wings and two tails, the ends turning into snake heads that hissed threateningly.

A Chimera.

Danny groaned. "Man! How is that fair?!" He growled in annoyance, which quickly turned to fear as the creature let out another ear-splitting shriek, charging the boy. Before he could even blink, the creature was upon him, slamming into his chest. He cried out in pain as the blow knocked him back even farther. Be shook his head as he tried to clear the ringing. Raising a hand, he fired a barrage of blue and green bolts at the creature, who evaded mostly all of them, a few hitting home, but still did little to distract the creature.

Flaring its wings, the chimera latched onto the boy's arm, dragging him up into the air. Danny screamed as he felt teeth sink deep into his arm, running across his flesh. The snakes that rested as the creature's tails, wrapped around Danny's legs, digging their fangs into his ankles. The dragon head reared back. Opening its mouth, Danny could see the back of its throat start to light up with orange light.

"Uh oh." Danny muttered to himself as a large blast of fire hit him straight in the chest from close range, blowing him back. Landing hard on the pavement, Danny felt his body hit something, or someone else. The force of the blow ended up making both boys roll and tumble across the concrete. Danny lay on his side, his breathing ragged as he cracked open his eyes to try and figure out what he hit.

Robin shook his head as he tried to clear the ringing in his ears from the impact. _What hit me?_ He wondered as he gazed around him, his eyes falling on the boy next to him. "Danny!" He shouted as he ran over. The boy winced as Robin placed a hand on his side. The Boy Wonder quickly pulled away. "You okay?" He asked, receiving a glare from the boy. "Yeah, I know. Stupid question." He smiled slightly, extending a hand. Danny shakily took it, Robin slowly helping the boy sit up against one of the nearby cars.

Nether of them looked good. Both of their uniforms were burned, scratched, torn, bitten, chewed, ripped, slashed and thrashed in various places, as well as many places on their skin. Robin eyed the boy up and down, Reaching behind himself, he ripped off a part of his cape, draping it over the boy's leg, tying it tightly over the bleeding wound. "OW!" Danny yelped at the pressure being applied to his wound. "You're taking too much pleasure in this, aren't you?!" He growled at Robin, who gave him a small smirk.

The small smile quickly disappeared as a small explosion was seen from not too far away. The two boys glanced at each other for a moment before turning back to the large plume of smoke in front of them. They gasped as the large Chimera slowly stalked forward through the flames, dozens of other creatures slowly walking behind the large animal. The lion head growled deeply as its claws scraped the ground in front of it. The dragon head snorted, letting out a trail of smoke from its flaming nostrils. The snakes that made up the tail hissed threateningly as they slithered across the ground. Even the goat seemed to glare at them in hatred.

The creatures and skeleton soldiers behind the large monstrosity snorted, growled, huffed, barked and screeched as they slowly approached. Robin gently grabbed Danny's shoulder, helping the boy limp to his feet, leaning heavily on the Boy Wonder. "So...what are the chances we _won't_ be burned to a crisp?" The ghost boy asked as the creatures continued to advance. "Do you want the truth, or something that will make you feel better?" Robin responded, digging into his utility belt, wincing as pain from his injured arm flared throughout his limb. "I'd say truth, but frankly, I'm too afraid to hear the answer." Danny gulped.

The chimera snarled as it leapt forward, ramming itself in between the two boys, knocking them both backwards. Twisting itself around, the two snake heads wrapped around one of the boys' wrists, dragging them forward, where the lion raised a claw, swiping it across their chests, sending them both reeling. The monster surged forward, placing a fiery paw on each of their chests, rendering them immobile.

The chimera lowered its head, glaring at the two boys as it bared its teeth, trying to decide which to devour first. But before it could make another move, a large green blast hit it in the side, knocking it off balance. It growled in anger as it whipped its head around, trying to figure out what had disturbed its meal, only to be bowled over by a red blur as it zoomed by.

The chimera roared in fury as fire erupted from its mouth, charring the pavement around it. It glared daggers at the boys, leaping forward with claws extended, only to cry out in pain as a black object slammed into its chest, ice starting to crawl across its body until all that remained was a block of ice, an angered chimera trapped inside.

Danny and Robin groggily glanced at each other before turning their heads to glance at the figure that now stood protectively in front of them. Batman lowered the batarang that still lay in his hands and turned around to face the teens. "You boys okay?" He asked. Robin shook his head to clear the dizziness, finding that it only added to the effect. "What took you guys so long?" He asked as he raised a hand to his throbbing forehead.

Flash zoomed up, resting his arms on Batman's shoulders, much to the man's displeasure. "Sorry, but we had to make a quick stop." He said with a grin as he turned his head, the boys doing the same.

Cyborg, Raven, Maddie, Jack, Bumblebee, Aqualad, Speedy, Mas and Menos, as well as the rest of the League and the remaining Titans surged forward, meeting the force of monsters head on, Batman and Flash running over to join them. Suddenly, the ice around the chimera started to crack and melt away. The creature roared in fury as it shook the frost off of its fur, flames igniting throughout its body once more. Extending its wings, the creature took off to the air, diving down straight for the group.

Cyborg ran forward, shooting a large blue blast straight at the creature, blowing it back with a roar. "Booyah!" He shouted with a smirk, turning back to the others, shock washing over his face as he saw Robin and Danny. "Man, what happened to you guys?" He asked, running forward as he helped them to their feet. Danny sighed as he glanced down at his charred clothes. "Guess these guys were hotter than we first thought."

A shaking in the ground, knocked the three off their feet as they glanced back at the group of fighting heroes. "Umm..anyone opposed to a tactical retreat?" Flash asked as another blast of flames knocked him backwards. Hawkgirl slammed her mace down onto the pavement, the ground splitting away under the feet of some of the creatures. "I do not run from battle!" She growled, knocking a skeleton back with a powerful punch. "Well, if you guys want to live long enough to figure out how to stop this, then I suggest we get moving!" Cyborg shouted back, sidestepping a large manticore as it swung its poisonous tail close to him.

Robin glanced behind him. "Come on! We can regroup back at the tower!" He shouted. The Titans nodded, the Leaguers reluctantly doing the same. The badly injured, including Robin, Danny, Starfire, Beastboy and Jazz piled into the T-car and the Fenton RV, while the others hitched rides from fellow team members. Robin gave one final glance out the window at the now deserted city, monsters and armed skeleton soldiers staring at their vehicles as they quickly sped past, many buildings and roads aflame and burnt.

The Boy Wonder sighed and rested his head on the back of the seat, glancing over to his side to see Danny's face contorted slightly in pain. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You okay?" Robin asked with concern. Danny smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'm good, if not slightly overcooked." He chuckled. Robin grinned and shook his head. Even in the face of total defeat, Danny was still able to get a smile on the boy's face.

Danny sighed as he glanced at the burning city behind them, the sky starting to turn different shades of orange and ashy grey. He turned back to Robin, who mirrored the same concerned look, asking a question he knew neither of them had the answer to.

"What are we going to do?"

* * *

 **Soooo much fighting!**

 **Anyway, sorry for the long delay on this chapter, but my Beta Reader was just finalizing things here and there. You guys should go check out her profile. The Girl In The Forrest is actually a pretty awesome writer.**

 **So...shout out to my Beta Reader, The Girl In The Forrest!**

 **P.S.- the next chapter is going to be my longest so far! Woo-hoo!**


	33. Chapter 33: Good Ol' Uncle Vlad

_**Sorry for the lateness of this chapter as well as some grammar and spelling issues. My beta reader is having some technological problems and we decided we couldn't wait any longer to post the chapter. So this chapter won't be as "cleaned up" as the previous ones.**_

 _ **But don't worry! Once she's up and running again, I will revise this chapter and post the next one.**_

 _ **Once again, SO SORRY!**_

 **Chapter 33: Good Ol' Uncle Vlad**

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

"OW!"

Danny glanced angrily at Raven as she tied up his ankle. "Sorry." She said absentmindedly as she turned back to Robin, finishing up with the wrapping in his arm, spreading her magic through the limb like she had done with Danny, reducing the injury greatly.

"Okay, not like you idiots will listen , but you _really_ should take it easy." Raven stressed, giving them an icy glare to try and scare them into submission. Robin sighed and nodded reluctantly, Danny doing the same as he stood up from the table, gingerly placing weight on his ankle as he made his way to the door. Robin turned to face him. "Come on, guys. We should go meet the others."

Out in the Ops Center, the large group of heroes rested throughout the large room, arguing about the situation and how it would be handled, if it could at all. Jack and Maddie were the only ones, besides Danny, Raven and Robin, not present in the room. The two had volunteered to monitor the activity in the city and watch for signs of the leader.

"Is anyone else freaking out a bit?" Beastboy asked as he lay out flat on the kitchen counter, his head resting on his folded arms. Bumblebee leaned against one of the nearby walls. "How are we supposed to defeat things that just regenerate. We can't even _touch_ them without getting burnt!" She sighed in exaggeration.

Starfire nodded, rubbing her burnt arms. "I must agree. Fighting the creatures was most unpleasant."

Aqualad narrowed his eyes. "Well we have to do something! If we don't, the city will burn!" He stressed. Speedy walked over and rested his arms on the boy's shoulders. "I have to agree with fish-face over here." He said, getting a glare from Aqualad. "We have to do something." He finished.

Flash zoomed past them to the fridge behind them. "Well for one thing, we should probably figure out where they're all coming from." He said as he started quickly shoving handfuls of food into his mouth, pausing mid-chew as the others stared back at him in confusion. He shrugged back at them. "Fast metabolism." He smirked, continuing to eat.

Wonder Women flew over. "Someone has to be controlling these creatures. If we can find them, then we _might_ have a chance of stopping all the chaos." She pointed out, shaking her head as Flash finished his meal.

Lantern shook his head from his seat on top of the couch. "Well, first we'd have to find out exactly _who_ is controlling them."

Robin and Danny walked into the room at that moment, the loud conversation washing over them as the doors to the Ops Center opened. They glanced at each other as the others continued to bicker about what to do, continuing forward into the room.

Hawkgirl continued from Lantern's previous statement. "How are we going to figure out who is controlling them, though?" She asked as she folded her arms and stared around the room as she waited for their answer.

Danny stepped forward. "Well when we last checked, Plasmius and Slade were working together, and we were pretty sure they both had the two artifacts. So it's only logical that one of them is controlling everything." He pointed out.

Maddie stepped forward from her seat next to Cyborg. "Yes, but _how_ are we going to figure out who it is out of the two?" She asked. Nobody said anything for a moment, none of them having the answer, until a single voice broke through the silence.

"I believe I may have some valuable information on that matter

Plasmius suddenly phased through the room of the tower and landed in front of the large group of heroes. Nobody moved as the man slowly gazed around the room, not until Danny transformed into Phantom and charged the man, blasting him back with a green blast to the chest. Plasmius growled and stood back up, flying into the air, blasting the boy back with a blast of his own. That was when everyone broke out of their trances and took defensive stances around the room.

Vlad's eyes widened at the number of people in the room and lowered himself to the ground. Danny narrowed his eyes and raised a glowing green hand, ready to fire in case Vlad decided to try any of his old tricks.

"I didn't come to fight, Daniel." He said as he focused his gaze on the angered boy.

"Then why did you come?!" The boy shouted back in response, his teammates lining up behind him, Robin coming over to stand next to him, bow staff ready for a rematch.

Vlad narrowed his eyes slightly, not saying a word.

Batman stepped forward, hand poised at his belt, ready in case things started to get out of hand. "I suggest you start talking, unless you want to deal with the rest of us." He growled menacingly.

Vlad smirked slightly. "You mean you _haven't_ figured it out yet? I thought they called you the _World's Greatest Detective?_ Then again, not many could understand what's going on out there." He sighed.

"What? That you teamed up with Slade, having him get the amulet and you get the gem. Then he ended up double-crossing you before you could double-cross him and now he's running rampant around the city with one of the most powerful weapons in all of history? Yeah, I think we just figured it out." Danny sneered as he crossed his arms, glaring back at the man. "Why else would you be here? If you _did_ have the gem, then you'd be flaunting it out screaming and shouting about how _powerful_ and _menacing_ you are." He continued as he rolled his eyes. "I'e had enough battles with you to figure it out."

Vlad smirked at the boy. "My, my. We've gotten clever over the past few months haven't we?" He sneered.

Danny clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "So _why_ are you here, Plasmius? You can't really expect us to help you now, can you?" He asked.

Vlad gently hovered down to the ground and slowly began to pace back and forth across the floor in front of the large group of wary heroes. "I don't believe you all have a choice. Either you help me or your precious city crumbles along with the rest of the world. I mean, you don't really expect Slade to be content with merely conquering this city now, do you?" He said with a wicked grin.

Robin narrowed his eyes and walked forward. "We can figure out a plan ourselves. We don't need your help like you need ours. Besides, whose to say you won't just cross us when we defeat Slade and take the gem for yourself. What's to stop you from doing that?" He asked with a pointed glare.

Vlad grinned back at him. "Nothing can stop me from doing that, but I am the only one who has heard what Slade's plans are seeing as I was the one to help him devise them. You need me. Otherwise, I can simply let the city burn. Your choice."

Superman growled at him. "So you're planning on blackmailing us into helping you, even though if we don, you can simply steal the weapon for yourself and take over the world?"

Vlad smirked. "Wonderful plan, I know. There really is _no_ downfall for me!"

Suddenly, the doors to the room opened, Jack and Maddie walking out of the entryway. "Still no sign of any type of..." Maddie started, only to trail off as she raised her head and stared around the room. Jack's mouth hung open as his eyes drifted over to Plasmius, who seemed surprised at the sight of the two.

Maddie shook her head to clear her shock and reach ed down to her side, tightly gripping a gun as she raised it up, aiming straight for Vlad's chest as she quickly stalked up closer to him.

The woman glared daggers at the man, Jack doing the same besides her. "How dare you show your face around here, you low-life piece of ectoplasmic filth?!" She shouted as she raised an ecto-blaster at the man. "I have half a mind to blast you to oblivion!" She snarled.

The shock on Vlad's face quickly melted away into contempt as he stared down at the barrel of the woman's gun. "I'm trembling." He said, the words dripping with sarcasm. Jack loaded his weapon as he aimed it at his old friend. "You should be! It doesn't matter to me if we have history. I won't hesitate to blast you, Vlad Masters or Vlad Plasmius, I don't care! " He growled, flinging out the names as though they were trash.

Vlad stared back at the two adults. "You...you...?" He stuttered, only to have Maddie finish it for him. "We know everything, Vlad. About the accident, about your powers, about all the robberies and overshadowments, and about how you want to destroy my husband and corrupt _my boy!_ " She snarled in anger.

Vlad stared back at the woman in shock which quickly melted away into fear. "Maddie...please. You have to understand! I-"

"You what?! Thought I would crawl to you if my husband were out of the picture? That my son would ever want to join you?! Danny explained everything to us. He explained just how truly evil you really are! And if you _ever_ thought we would ever willingly join you, then you have another thing coming!" She growled, ramming the end of her gun into the man's chest, knocking to the floor in shock.

Jack glared down at the man. "I can't believe I ever once called you my friend! Anyone who threatens MY family deserves everything that's coming to you!" He growled, gun pointed at his chest, finger poised on the trigger in case things started to get intense.

Maddie narrowed her eyes. "Everything makes sense now! _You_ overshadowed my husband and tried to destroy him. That time in the woods, _You_ sent those animals to destroy Danny! _You_ made our plane crash into those woods! _You_ have to be the most despicable man I've ever had the displeasure of knowing!" She screamed in fury.

He stared back at the couple in shock, the words finally soaking into his mind. He whipped his head around to face Danny, who stayed quiet throughout the fight. Vlad narrowed his eyes in fury. "You...YOU!" Letting out a cry of fury, he charged through the air towards the boy, gripping him by the shoulders as he phased him through the floor.

"Danny!" Maddie and Jack shouted as they turned to Robin. "What's the room below us?" She asked frantically. Robin stared wide-eyes at the spot on the floor where the two had vanished. HE whipped his head up at the question, clearing himself out of the daze. "The storage room!" He shouted as Maddie, Jack, Dani, Jazz, Sam and Tucker quickly sprinted out of the room before he could say anything else.

Robin turned to the others who still remained in the room. "Titans, follow them down to the storage room! Titans E., League, stay here in case Plasmius tries to escape. We'll contact if we need help." He said as he raced out of the room, the remaining Titans quickly following.

Flash rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to the others. "Okay...that was awkward."

That earned him 12 well-placed glares.

* * *

 **Storage Room**

Vlad roared in fury as he slammed the boy down into the ground, whipping him up and throwing him across the room like a ragdoll. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" He screamed in rage unlike anything Danny had ever seen. Normally when they fought, Danny could tell Vlad always held back a little considering he wanted Danny to become his apprentice. Now he was seeing first-hand just how powerful the man really was.

Danny warily stood back up as he faced off against the man, who glared daggers at him. "You took away any chance of Maddie coming with me!" He growled as he raised a fist, shooting a barrage of blasts towards the boy, who expertly dodged them.

"Like she would ever join you! Face it, Vlad. Mom and I would NEVER have joined you, no matter what you did!" Danny shouted back, firing off a few blasts of his own, Vlad merely creating a shield to block them all,

Dropping the barrier, Vlad ceased his attack and stared down at the floor by his feet. Danny glanced at him in confusion and ended his torrent of blasts as well. "Perhaps you're right. Daniel. You two might have never joined me. Nevertheless, I still love your mother, nothing will change that." He raised his head, his eyes glowing a menacing shade of red. "But that also means you are no longer of any use to me." He growled deeply.

Danny's eyes widened at the last words. He raised his hands once more, but Vlad was faster. Charging forward, the man grabbed Danny's arms, throwing him back against one of the large cabinets in the room, the shelves tipping over onto the floor, spilling out the various contents trapped inside.

Danny groaned, holding a hand up to his forehead to try and stop the thumping, only to gasp as Vlad flew down, firing a continuous stream towards the boy, creating a large plume of smoke to rise up into the air. Vlad narrowed his eyes as he slowly landed on the ground. Suddenly, from the dust, a shape zoomed up into the air, diving back down towards the man ramming him in the chest, sending him reeling backwards.

Vlad snarled and duplicated himself into four, each charging the boy from different directions. Danny gasped and jumped out of the way of one of the clones, only to leap right in the way of another, who blasted him into one of the far walls. Danny groaned as he slumped down against the ground, sitting up as quickly as he could, which wasn't very quick. Another duplicate grabbed the boy's arm and hoisted him over his shoulder, slamming him down onto the concrete.

Danny growled and phased through the ground, disappearing from sight. Vlad narrowed his eyes, reverting back into one single form as he scanned the room for signs of the boy, only to receive a hard punch to the jaw as Danny flew up through the floor.

Vlad growled and grabbed Danny's ankle as he flew above him, dragging him back down to the ground, his hand lighting up with energy as he did so. Danny screamed as electricity coursed through his body, sending flares of heat throughout him. Flashes and blasts of horrid memories of cold steel and sparking tools danced before the boy's vision as he shook his head to try and clear himself from the thoughts.

Finally, Vlad ceased the attack, Danny crumpling to the ground as he held himself up on his hands and knees, breathing hard. He gasped as Vlad grabbed onto his neck, hoisting him up against one of the walls. The man lowered his gaze to stare at the boy straight in the eye. "You know, Daniel, I've tried to be a patient man. I've put up with all the antics, all the frustrations, all the setbacks that you put me through. I've looked past it all because I always hoped you would finally grow wise and see that joining me is the best thing you could possibly do." Vlad sighed as he stared back at the struggling boy.

Danny gasped for air as Vlad tightened his grip around the boy's neck. "But I can't lie..." He continued as he raised his free hand, palm starting to glow a deep shade of pink as he aimed it at the boy in his grasp. "I've wanted to do this for a _long_ time!" He shouted with a wicked grin as he thrust his hand forward.

Danny closed his eyes, expecting to feel burning heat, only to open his eyes in confusion when nothing happened and he was suddenly dropped to the ground. His eyes widened at the scene. Vlad now lay on the ground, groaning as he raised a hand to his head. Maddie and Jack stood in the doorway, smoking guns still in hand. Raven, Starfire and Dani flew above them in the air, while Robin, Sam and Cyborg stood on the left, Tucker Beastboy and Jazz on the right, each person standing defensively, ready to attack again.

"We still have some unfinished business, Vlad." Maddie snarled, cocking her gun once more. Robin narrowed his eyes as he twirled his bow staff. "Titans, GO!"

Everyone surged forward towards the two. Robin, Sam and Jazz broke away, running over to check on Danny while the others charged towards Vlad. The man narrowed his eyes and curled his lips into a snarl, duplicating himself into 4 different versions once again.

Turning back to the others, Vlad grinned wickedly as he gazed around the room at the group. "Well, I _was_ planning on destroying you all later, but I guess I could squeeze your demises in a little early." He smirked at the clones flew forward.

* * *

Maddie charged up her gun, shooting off a barrage of bolts towards the ghost as it flew forward, only to have the man twirl and spin around them. Flying down, he grabbed onto the woman's wrists, the gun clattering to the floor. "Maddie, please don't fight. I'd hate to have to damage that pretty face of yours." The man sighed as he stared back at her.

She narrowed her eyes, blasters appearing from the jumpsuit, latching onto the man's arms. Vlad screamed and let go as the shockwaves traveled through his body. Dropping back into a defensive crouch, Maddie swept the man's legs, sending him crashing to the ground. "Sorry, Vlad. But the feeling's not mutual!" She snarled, blasting the man backwards.

She turned away to gaze around the room, trying to locate her husband, only to crash to the ground hard as a ecto-blast was shot at her feet, blowing her to the floor. Suddenly, an orange blur rammed into Vlad's shoulder, sending him reeling back.

Jack reached down, extending a hand to his wife. Maddie smiled slightly and grabbed it, the man hauling her to her feet. A loud growl broke them from their thoughts as Vlad glared back at them, flying into the air. Jack narrowed his eyes and cocked his weapon, Maddie doing the same beside him.

Vlad grit his teeth and phased through the floor, much to the couple's surprise. Jack growled as he canned the area. "Show yourself, coward!" He shouted in anger. Vlad smirked, granting the man's wish as he phased back up through the floor, grabbing the two guns out of their hands as he did so.

They gazed at their now empty hands, then back up at him as he bent the guns out of commission. Vlad grinned as the broken guns clattered to the floor. "What now?" He smirked as he gazed down at the two ghost hunters. The two hunters glanced at each other for a moment before reaching down to their waists, pressing a small button on the side of their suits.

Vlad's eyes widened in surprise as dozens of small lasers began to appear from various parts on the jumpsuit.

"Oh, butter biscuits!"

* * *

Danny struggled to sit up as the battle raged on, finally propping himself up onto his elbows. Robin skidded over to him, helping him sit up, Sam by his side. "You okay, D?" The Boy Wonder asked. Danny raised an eyebrow at the question, earning an eye roll in response. "Well what am I supposed to ask?" He smirked slightly. Danny grinned back at him as the two helped him to his feet.

The boy winced as Cyborg was thrown back against one of the far walls, quickly followed by Beastboy and Starfire. Turning back to the two, Danny nodded his head. "Go help the others. I'll be fine."

Robin and Sam both gave him skeptical looks only to gasp as a Vlad duplicate appeared in front of them. "Don't think you're getting out of this, Daniel." He snarled with a grin. Robin narrowed his eyes. "I think they'll have to hold their own for a while. We have some problems over here!" He growled, Sam charging up her gloves while Danny's fists glowed green.

* * *

Starfire squeaked in surprise as a pink blast hit her in the chest, sending her crashing into the wall behind her. She shook her head to clear the dots that swam around her vision, then flew back down to the others.

Cyborg blasted with his cannon, hoping to at least cause some sort of damage to the ghost as it flew forward. Vlad grinned wickedly as he simply phased through the blasts, delivering a hard punch to the robot's chest. Cyborg yelled in surprise as he was sent tumbling to the ground. He groaned as he raised a hand to his head, gasping as Vlad landed in front of him, hand glowing a deep pink.

The ghost cracked a wide grin as he raised his hand, only to yell in shock as a green blur rammed into his side, knocking him to the ground. Beastboy morphed back and ran over to Cyborg, helping the robot to his feet. "Thanks, BB." He sighed as he placed a hand to his shoulder, rotating it behind him as he tried to work the kinks out of it.

"No prob, C-" The changeling started, only to have a pink blast slam into his chest, knocking him into one of the file cabinets. He groaned from his spot on the floor, gasping in shock as the large cabinet started to sway. He screamed as the case crashed down on top of him, various files and object clattering onto the floor.

"Beastboy!" Starfire cried out as she flew down to the large cabinet, Cyborg jumping in front of her, guarding the two others as Vlad flew forward. "You see? This is why partnership is weakness!" He growled, blasting a ray at the robot's feet, Cyborg rolling out of the way of the beam. Glaring back up at the ghost, Cyborg grit his teeth as he glanced back over to the other Titans behind him. "So why'd you team up with Slade? If it exploits _weakness,_ then why'd you do it. You had to know he'd betray you."

Vlad shrugged. "It's called strategy. Sadly, I wasn't able to cross him before he crossed me." He flew down, grabbing Cyborg's arm as he hoisted the boy into the air. 'No matter. It merely delays the inevitable." He growled with a grin, punching Cyborg in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall next to Starfire as she lifted the large case.

A small green mouse scurried out, walking in a zig-zag pattern slowly. The mouse slowly transformed into Beastboy, who held his head as he tried to clear the ringing in his ears. "Man, I hope the others are having better luck than we are." He groaned.

Cyborg glanced back at him as he continued to fire blasts from his cannon, Starfire above him, firing blasts of her own. "I must agree. This is not enjoyable." She exclaimed as Vlad flew forward once more

* * *

Dani slammed her fist into the man's chest, sending him crashing into the ground. Flying next to Tucker and Jazz, Raven flew over as the dust around the area began to settle. Suddenly, she was blown backwards as a pink blast hit her in the shoulder, knocking her into the other two.

Vlad smirked at the teens as they struggled to sit back up. "Really, children? Do you think this will get you anywhere?" He sneered down at them. Dani growled and fired a green ray from her fist, Vlad harmlessly phasing through it. He glanced down at the girl, finally seeming to regard her presence. "Danielle! What a surprise. Although it shouldn't be. For some reason, you seem to have grown quiet fond to young Daniel." He said with a sneer.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah, well he's better company than you EVER were!" She shouted back. Vlad rolled her eyes. "Honesty, kids these days!" He grumbled as he dove forward, ramming into Jazz and Tucker's shoulders, sending the two flying backwards, only to be caught by Raven's magic as she gently lowered them down to the ground.

Vlad growled and fired a ray at the distracted girl, Dani creating a green shield in front of them before any damage could be inflicted upon them. The girl gasped as Vlad flew forward, slamming a fist into the green barrier, the shield cracking and shattering apart from the blow. Grabbing the girl by the front of her jumpsuit, Vlad hoisted her up into the air, coming face to face with her.

"You are starting to become just as annoying as he is." He growled, only to grunt as he was rammed in the gut by a glowing green bow staff. Glaring down, he could make out Jazz hauling the small ghost girl to her feet, protectively placing an arm around the girl.

Vlad narrowed his eyes at the two girls, three if you included Raven, who suddenly flew over their heads, slamming two large cabinets on top of the ghost with her magic. Vlad snarled in anger and blasted his way through the rubble, glaring at the girls, only to gasp as a glowing green whip wrapped around his waist, dragging him down to the ground.

Stealing a glance behind him, he could make out Tucker holding the whip handle in his hands, one finger hovering over a red button on the bottom of the device. "Been wanting to try this for a while now..." The boy muttered with a small smile, slamming his thumb down onto the button.

Vlad screamed in pain as green currents of electricity traveled through his body as he knelt down on the floor, the shocks dying down. The four teens glanced at each other for a moment, then slowly started to walk towards the man, only to be blown back as a wave of pink energy exploded from him, driving them away.

Vlad growled, the whip falling limply onto the floor as he stared back at his opponents, who mirrored his same hated look. Dani narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. "I see you didn't heed my warning, _Dad_. Stay away from my cousin!" She snarled, flying forward once more.

* * *

" _Bee! I think we'll take that back-up now!"_ Robin shouted through the communicator, dodging another blast that flew inches from his head.

 _"Sorry, Rob. There was another attack from those creatures a few minutes after you left. We're dealing with them right now and the League is dealing with another across town! Could be a while until we get back to the tower. These things are tough! Even our ghost allies are having a hard time dealing with them! OH! Sorry, got to go! Aqualad's being eaten!"_

Robin glanced down at the small round device for a moment before it was blasted out of his hands. Glancing back up, Robin gasped, leaping out of the way of another bolt. Reaching down to his side, he gripped his bow staff, leaping into the air as Vlad dove towards Danny and Sam.

He hit the ghost right in the side of the head, knocking him off his path and into one of the nearby filing cabinets. "You good?" He asked the two, receiving identical nods from theme. "Any word on back-up?" Sam asked, blasting the man back once more as he dove for them.

Robin shook his head, deflecting a pink blast with his staff. "Trouble in the city. They had to go deal with it. We're on our own." He said grimly.

"Great." Danny growled, flying up into the air as Vlad broke through the rubble, charging for the group. Diving down, the ghost boy rammed into the man's side, the two ghosts tumbling across the floor. Sending punch after punch at one another, Vlad, after sending a good strong kick to the stomach, was able to heave Danny off of him and into his friends, the group crashing to the floor.

Danny groaned, shaking his head as he turned to glance around the room. "How are the others doing?" Robin asked, as he fended off against a series of punches and kicks from the ghost. "Uhh...like us." He finally settled on as he flew back into the battle.

"So...bad?" Sam asked as she was blasted in the shoulder.

"Yep." Danny confirmed as his legs were swept out from under him. Robin growled in frustration as he dodged another blast. "Titans, form!" He shouted across the room.

Everyone looked up and nodded to each other as they slowly started to make their way to the center of the room, the Vlad duplicates slowly following, continuing their attacks nonetheless. "Man! Vlad is tougher than he looks." Jack said with a sigh, restraining himself from calling the man by his old nickname "We need another strategy." Robin growled at the group as quietly as he could while still being heard. The others nodded as they tried to think of something while avoiding getting their heads blasted off.

Danny's eyes widened as a plan formulated in his head. "I have an idea." He smirked as he created a shield large enough to surround the group. The Vlads glanced at each other as they started to blast away at the green barrier, oblivious to the whispering people inside. Finally, the shield exploded, green smoke pluming from where the barrier once stood.

Vlad narrowed his eyes as he gathered up his clones, reverting back into a single ghost. He cocked a brow as he made out a dozen shadows in the smoke, one of them disappearing as he looked, more and more quickly following. He glanced around in confusion as the smoke started to cover more and more of the room.

Suddenly, a green blast exploded from somewhere in the smoke, hitting him in the shoulder. He growled in pain and anger and whipped his head around, only to have the shadow quickly disappear as fast as it had appeared. He narrowed his eyes, his hands lighting up with pink energy as he glanced around the smoke, trying to make out a shape or shadow.

He gasped as a whip flashed before him, snapping across his face before retracting back into the smoke, followed quickly by the sound of a charged gun and a flash of light from a ray, which hit him in the back.

His eyes flashed red in anger as he fired blindly into the smoke. "Show yourselves!" He shouted in fury.

 _"Why would we do that?"_ A voice echoed throughout the room, resembling the sound of Danny.

" _Now we can treat you like the monster you really are without having to see your disgusting face!" Maddie's voice growled._

 _"To think we were ever friends."_ Jack snarled.

Vlad narrowed his eyes as he continued to fire blindly around the room. "Shut up! All of you!" He shouted back as he twisted back and forth through the smoke as he tried to locate a single shadow, only to have them slip away before he could even get a good look at them.

 _"They're right, Uncle Vlad. If I can even call you that anymore."_ Jazz snorted.

 _"Did you really think any of your plans would ever work? Do you think Danny would ever want to become something like you? That his mom will ever want to BE with you? Please!"_ Sam's voice sneered, a purple blast knocking into the man's side.

"I said shut up!" Vlad growled louder this time as he frantically whipped through the smoke.

" _They're right, Vlad. All you've ever been is a lonely freak. At least I have friends and family who stand by me."_ Danny growled as he silently searched the room for the right cabinet wich held the key to winning this battle.

The Fenton Thermos

" _Who stands by you?"_ Robin asked

" _A wife?"_ Maddie sneered.

" _A brother?"_ Jack snorted

 _"A son?"_ Danny growled

 _"A daughter?"_ Dani snarled

 _"A friend?"_ Robin jeered.

" _No Vlad. You don't have that. In fact, you NEVER had that! You know why? Because you...are a true MONSTER!"_ Maddie snarled.

Vlad's heartbeat started to quicken as he searched frantically, Danny's heart doing the same as he tightly gripped the cold metal of the thermos, slowly uncapping it as he aimed it for the man.

" _You will never win, Vlad. You're wicked. Always have been. Always WILL BE!"_ Danny snarled.

" **SHUT UP!** " Vlad howled, a large pink shockwave radiating out from him, blasting across the room, clearing the smoke and blowing the group back against the far walls. The man glared daggers at the people, his eyes flaming with dark pink fire. He walked along the room, passing the limp bodies of his attackers as they slowly started to stir, instead turning to Danny. The Fenton Thermos was now far out of reach, laying still where it had landed when the blast hit, next to Jack Fenton.

Reaching down, Vlad grabbed the still boy by the throat and hoisted him up into the air. Danny narrowed his eyes and raised his hand as best he could, letting off a bright green blast. Vlad's eyes widened as the blast shot towards his face, the ray hitting him in the face.

He howled in pain as he stumbled backwards, dropping Danny in shock, the boy quickly scooting across the floor. Vlad clawed at the right side of his face, searing heat radiating from the spot the blast had hit. Danny's eyes widened as Vlad turned to face him. The right side of his face, from his ear to his cheek, was now completely burned. His eye, now blackened and burnt, glared back at the boy, pure rage emanating from it. Roaring in rage, Vlad shot forward, faster than Danny could even blink, and grabbed the boy by the throat once more, slamming him hard into the ground this time. The boy's eyes popped open at the pressure on his throat and the hard pounding of the back of his head where the blow had hit.

Vlad lowered his head so that their eyes were level with each other. "I refuse to kill your mother..." He growled menacingly, his eyes radiating insanity. "But I will RELISH in disposing of you!" He screamed as he started to squeeze down onto the boy's throat.

The others finally started to stir as they clutched their heads, Jack's hand brushing against the thermos as he sat up, gazing around the room. He gasped as his eyes made out Vlad crouched over his boy. His eyes landed on the gleaming metal by his hands. A determined look spread across his face.

Danny gasped for air as he tried to pry Vlad's hands off of his throat, only to have no effect as the man's grip held steadfast. "You're through interfering with my plans!" The man snarled as his grip tightened. Danny felt his breathing hitch as his windpipe was slowly crushed. He tried, but failed to take a deep breath, the air refusing to travel down to his lungs. Dark spots began to swim at the edge of his vision as the room started to spin.

Vlad grinned wickedly as he felt the life draining out of the boy, only to feel a tap on his shoulder and a recognizable voice call his name.

"Hey, _V-Man_!"

The ghost turned around in confusion, coming face to face with the end of the open Fenton Thermos. He gasped as he was enveloped in a bright blue light as the thermos started to drag him away from the room. A last single scream of rage was heard as he was sucked into the metal canister. Jack quickly cupped the end of the thermos. "Stay away from my son." He growled.

The man was thrown from his thoughts at the sound of harsh coughing. Whipping his head up, he ran over to Danny, kneeling down beside the boy as he took in mouthfuls of air. "You okay, Danny-boy?" He asked, placing a gentle hand on his son's back. Danny gave him a weak smile. "Never better." He croaked out, rubbing his now sore throat as his dad helped him up.

The others slowly started to approach, groggily holding their heads. "Did we get him?" Beastboy asked.

Danny chuckled. "We got him." He said with a smile, Jack shaking the thermos in his hands. Tucker sighed. "Great. That's 1 crazy dude down...1 _super_ crazy dude to go." He groaned, flopping down on the ground.

Raven glanced at the thermos. "Soo...what do we do with him?" She asked.

Everyone gave each other questioning looks, unsure of what to do now. Danny's felt a small smile slip onto his mouth. "Okay...I have _another_ idea."

* * *

Vlad gasped as he was shot out of the thermos, landing roughly on the ground. He groaned and stood back up, dusting himself off. Glancing around, he realized one thing.

He was in the Ghost Zone.

It seemed to be a sort of forest. It certainly wasn't a part of the Zone he was familiar with. He narrowed his eyes as memories of the past few hours returned to him. He grit his teeth. "Watch yourself, Daniel. I'll be back." He snarled to himself, only to freeze as a real snarl was heard.

He whipped his head around, only to be met with more trees. He narrowed his eyes, deciding it best to get out of there as fast as possible, only to glance down and realize he was in human form. Shock coursed through him as he realized he couldn't transform.

Glancing around, a glint of metal caught his attention. He looked down and saw the Plasmius Maximus on the ground, a yellow note attached to the side of it. He picked up the device, ripping off the note as he held it close.

 _Dear Uncle Vlad,_

 _After our very fun time of roughhousing in the tower, we thought it best to send you somewhere to rest. So we decided, what better place than a forest where ANIMALS like you fit in! How very kind of us!_

 _Anyway, I'm sure if your reading this that you noticed the horribly named **Plasmius Maximus** (And you make fun of the Fenton invention names). Well, we took the liberty of borrowing your little toy. By the way! Did you know that whatever happens to a Fenton Thermos happens to the ghost trapped inside? Yep! Just one little shock from the Plasmius Maximus to the thermos and your powers were shorted out._

 _So, judging from the timer we placed on your thermos, you will still have 2 and a half hours until your powers return when it lets you out. That will give you plenty of time to catch up with your old friends._

Vlad glanced at the note in confusion, that is until he heard growls and snarls around him.

 _Did I forget to mention? Well, since that forest is SO big, we thought you'd get pretty lonely. So we decided to let you spend some time with your little buddies. I'm sure you remember them, cause they REALLY remember you!_

 _Anyway, HAVE FUN!_

 _-Danny and co._

 _(P.S.-bet you're really wishing you had gotten that cat sooner, huh?)_

Vlad gulped as ghostly animals started to emerge from the trees. Not just any animals. His animal experiments from Colorado. They snarled and growled at him as they slowly started to advance closer.

"Oh FUDGE NUGGETS!"


	34. Ch 34: Hotter That Hell's Back Kitchen

_**Once again, I'm sorry to say I don't have my beta reader yet, but once I do, I promise I'll revise this chapter. Just think of it as a first draft! :)  
**_ _ **Anyway , I hope you guys enjoy it. I know I really had fun with the bonding scenes, but I guess I'll just let you read it for yourselves.**_

 **Chapter 34: Hotter Than Hell's Back Kitchen**

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

Danny flopped down on the couch, crashing down on top of Robin. The Boy Wonder groaned and tapped the boy's shoulder. Danny groggily glanced to his side, facing the boy he currently lay on. "Under you." Robin muttered softly. Danny shrugged his shoulders. "Deal with it." He sighed as he placed a hand to his throbbing head.

Robin shook his head. Not having the energy to fight, he rested his head down once more, thankful for a moment peace and quiet, as were the other people in the room.

Beastboy lay sprawled out on the kitchen counter, and ice pack on top of his head. He was mainly focusing on not vomiting all over the place whenever he sat up. So far...he wasn't doing a very good job.

Sam and Jazz sat back to back on the floor, each trying to catch their breath. Tucker lay across both of their laps, much to their annoyance but they left him alone considering they were in no mood to kick him off.

Cyborg and Valerie sat together in the kitchen next to the fridge, occasionally opening the appliance for a jolt of cold air.

Dani sat by the large window that overlooked the city, the sky now an orange tint from all the fires that spread across the land. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the cold glass, trying to ease the splitting headache that came with a visit from her _father._

Starfire sat with Raven by the side of the room, the sorceress quietly mending one of the alien's wounds with her magic.

Jack and Maddie sat at the dining tables, heads down as they tried to settle the uneasy feelings in the pits of their stomach that came with finding out just how evil their old friend really was. Jack sighed as he rested his head in his hands, Maddie placing a reassuring hand on his back.

Overall...the group didn't look good.

But, they were all thankful for a moment of peace. A moment that was criminally short-lived as the doors to the Ops Center were forcefully opened and in stumbled the Titans East as well as the Justice League. Both teams looked like they had had better days. Swapping confused glances as each team gazed at their partner groups, one question was mimicked throughout the room.

"What happened to _you?"_

The Titans East walked further into the room, sighing as they were finally able to rest. "More trouble with those creatures." Bumblebee groaned as she quickly snagged the ice pack off of Beastboy's head and placed it on her own, much to the boy's annoyance.

They turned to the Leaguers, who also started to relax around the room. "Defending trapped stragglers of the city evacuation from those monsters." Batman growled to the others, satisfied they had at least been able to get the last of the citizens out of the city.

They turned back to the Titans. Robin sighed as he pushed Danny off, the boy letting out a yelp as he tumbled to the floor. "Trouble with Vlad." The Boy Wonder explained right before receiving a punch to the shoulder as Danny pushed him to the side, roughly sitting down on the couch next to him.

Superman gazed back at them questioningly. "Vlad did all of that to you?" He asked in confusion.

"Slade didn't mess around when he chose a partner." Robin growled as he slowly stood up, facing the three groups of heroes. "Okay, now that one man is down, we still have to take out the other." He explained. "Since we now know it's Slade behind all this, we've got to take him down once and for all."

Beastboy quickly sat up, which was a big mistake as his stomach lurched painfully and the contents inside threatened to spill over. He quickly swallowed them down and glared back at his leader. "Hold on! We almost got our butts handed to us by that nut, now you want us to go battle ANOTHER crazy dude, this time with a super ultra mega evil device with him?!" He shrieked.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "We have to. It's the only way to save the city, maybe the world." He growled.

Beastboy groaned and flopped back down on the counter.

Raven stood up from her spot in the corner. "Hang on, Robin. In case you've all forgotten, the gem has a defense mechanism. Only someone of similar species can remove the gem." She explained.

"But Slade's human. Doesn't that mean a human can remove it?" Cyborg asked as he moved closer to the center of the room.

Sam furrowed her brow. "But if the gem he's wearing is full of ghostly energy, then wouldn't that make a difference. I mean, a human has never worn the gem before. It's always been wielded by ghosts. So a human wearing it must mean he's being filled with all its ghostly energy." She realized.

Raven nodded. "He's not human, but he's not full ghost." She explained.

"So...he's a hybrid?" Tucker asked.

"A halfa." Valerie realized.

"Meaning only a _half-ghost_ can remove it." Danny said gravely as he faced the others. Raven nodded once more.

Flash cocked his head. "Wait! So you're saying only _he_ can remove the gem? Only _he_ can stop all this? But he's just a kid!"

The teenage superheroes that made up three-fourths of the room all glared darkly at the speedster, who chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck and zoomed behind Superman, who sighed and shook his head.

Bee furrowed her brow. "But Dani's a half-ghost as well. Couldn't she remove it just as well?" She asked.

The girl in question shook her head sadly. "I'm not organic. I'm an artificial life form. A clone. Even though I'm half-ghost, my human half still isn't 100% human." She explained. "The only other halfa would be Vlad, but something tells me he isn't going to be a viable opinion." She sighed in annoyance as she crossed her arms.

Robin smirked slightly. "Well, what do ya' say? Want to save the world?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around the boy.

Danny chuckled as he did the same. "No problem. Just another Tuesday."

* * *

"Are you really going to do this, Danny?" Tucker asked as the trio walked down the hallway. Sam by his side.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "What choice do I have, guys? I'm the only one who can separate the gem from Slade. If I don't do this..." He trailed off, knowing his friends would be able to piece the rest together.

Sam sighed. "Yeah, I guess we get it. It's just that...it'll be really dangerous." She stressed. "What if..."

Danny smirked and placed an arm around her. "Sam, I know you guys are worried about me. But...I'll be fine! We've done this before. Besides, I'll have all of you guys to back me up. It's not like I'll be doing this alone."

Tucker lowered his head. "It's just that...it was already trouble bringing Plasmius down, and now we have to go against a man with centuries of evil energy at his disposal. What if we can't-" He started, only to have Danny cut him off.

"Guys! It'll be alight. We'll just have to work together. Plus, we'll have the Titans East, the Justice League _and_ the ghosts from the Zone on our side. We'll be okay." He smiled slightly at them. Sam and Tucker glanced slightly at each other, then lowered their gazes as they arrived at Danny's door. "I've got to get ready, guys. Plus I have to meet Robin in a few minutes. Said he had something important to tell me." Danny said with a smirk.

"You guys should go get ready too. WE have to meet others as well as the ghosts on the rooftop in a half hour." He explained to the two. Sam sighed and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, a small smile spreading on her lips then quickly disappearing as she turned her head, walking with Tucker farther down the hallway.

Danny smiled after then, sighing as they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. Lowering his gaze, the boy quietly entered his room and turned on the lights. He gasped at the sight of his parents quietly talking on the bed. They turned to face him as he entered. Jack quickly stood up from the bed. "Danny-boy! We were wondering when you'd show up!" He said cheerily.

Danny slowly walked further into the room. "Umm...what are you guys doing in here?" He asked as he sat on the other side of the bed, reaching down to his bandaged ankle. "We came in to see you, sweetie." Maddie said softly. Danny rolled his eyes as he continued to unwrap the bandages from his ankle, which was now fully healed. "Why? Want to try and convince me to come home with you?"

Maddie glanced over at her husband, who shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what to say. "Danny...Amity's your home. It's where you belong." His mother stressed. Danny scoffed and stood up, quickly facing them. "Really? Cause I don't seem to remember any good things that place did to me. All it got me was daily ghost beatings, town citizens that feared and hated me and a school full of kids who loved Phantom but hated Fenton." He growled at them.

Jack sighed. "But you can't really want to stay here, can you?" He asked. Danny rolled his eyes. "Why not? What's wrong with staying here?" He asked them.

Maddie stood up. "Danny...these Titans...they're just kids." She pointed out.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "No, they're super-powered teens...just like me! I finally found kids who I actually share something in common with, an actual family and you guys want to take me away from them. But you two don't seem to understand that I don't want to go. I don't want to go back home because I already have a new home!" He pleaded, hoping they would be able to understand.

He sighed when they gave him confused looks. Shaking his head, he walked back towards the door. "Whatever. You guys can't understand. I have to go, Robin wanted to see me. Do whatever you want, but after this battle, I _will_ make my decision and you won't be able to change my mind." He called over his shoulder as he exited the room.

Maddie sighed and sat back down on the bed, Jack doing the same beside her. "Oh, Jack. What are we going to do?

* * *

Danny knocked quietly on the door. "Robin?" He called softly, waiting for an answer. He relieved one as the door slid open. Robin stood in the doorway, stepping aside, allowing Danny to walk further into the room. Flicking on the light, Danny's eyes widened at the room. Files lay scattered everywhere, even on the bed, which was probably hardly used.

Turning back to the boy, Danny wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Robin...I think you have a problem." He whispered, trying but failing to hide his smirk. Robin chuckled, leading to Danny doing the same as the two boys walked over to the bed, quietly taking a seat.

"So what did you want to talk about, Rob?" Danny asked, folding his arms under his head as he laid down on the pillows at the head of the bed. "I wanted to tell you something important." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I...I haven't told anyone else on the team about this. You'd be the first."

Danny sat up and stared back at the boy. "You okay, Robin? What are you talking about?" He asked, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Robin turned to gaze out the window. "You've probably realized I never take my mask off." Danny nodded and smirked slightly. "Yeah, it's like a second skin for you, huh?" He said with a smile. Robin chuckled. "Yeah. Anyways...nobody else knows my secret identity. Well...other than Batman."

Danny shook his head, turning to face the boy. "Whoa, whoa! Not that I don't want to know...but... why would you tell me? Especially when you've known the other Titans for so much longer." He asked.

Robin shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe it's because you are the only one here who knows just how important a secret identity can be. You've lived with one for so long, so you're probably the only person here that could really understand why mine is so important to me." He explained.

Danny nodded in understanding. "So, you really _do_ have a face under that mask, Robin?" He asked with a knowing smirk.

"It's Dick."

Danny turned his head to face him. "What?" He asked, surprised when Robin started to remove his mask. He blinked in shock at the boy's face. It was like looking in a mirror. His actual facial features hadn't changed much, considering most of them could be seen even with the mask, but it was his eyes that stopped Danny in his tracks.

They were a piercing crystal blue, exactly like his own. "Richard Grayson. Dick for short." The boy explained.

Danny's eyes widened in shock. "Wait a minute. I thought I heard something about a Dick Grayson back in Amity. You used to live with Bruce Wayne, right? After a circus accident. Something happened to..." He trailed off, Dick nodding sadly. "Yeah...the trapeze was...sabotaged." He said quietly.

Danny lowered his gaze and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Dick...I'm sorry." He said softly. The boy sighed and glanced back up, a small smile on his lips. "Thanks."

Danny nodded and smirked slightly. "Hang on. If _you're_ Robin, Batman's sidekick..." He started, only to be cut off by a comment from Dick.

"-I prefer _partner"_ He said, glaring slightly at the boy.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. If you're Robin, Batman's _partner_ , then that would mean Batman's..." He trailed off, turning back to stare wide-eyed at the boy. Dick rolled his eyes and smirked. "Yes, Batman is Bruce Wayne. Ugg! He's so gonna kill me." He mumbled under his breath.

Danny laughed. "Ha! That's awesome! No wonder Batman always has these awesome new toys! He's a billionaire!"

Dick shook his head, a smile plastered on his face as he laid back on the bed.

Silence enveloped the room for a few moments, neither boy knowing what to say. Finally, Danny turned back to face the boy. "Why now? Why would you tell me this now?" He asked. Dick sighed and laid back on the headboard of the bed. "I don't know. I guess it's because of the upcoming battle. We don't know what'll happen, so I decided to at least let someone know about my identity in case something went wrong. So what better person than a brother?" He explained.

Danny looked at him in surprise, then smiled, placing an arm around the boy. "Thanks, Dick." He sighed, staring out the window at the orange-tinted city. The two boys sat on the bed for a few more moments, before Dick stood up, placing his mask back over his eyes, becoming Robin once more. "Come on. We have to go meet the others. It's time." He explained.

Danny stood and walked over to the door, but not before Robin placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "And Danny...thanks." He called.

Danny turned to face him, a smile spreading on his face. "What are brothers for?"

* * *

Danny took a deep breath and walked out the door, Robin at his side as the two boys stepped out onto the roof of the tower. The members of the Justice League stood together on one side of the area, the Titans, original and East, stood off on the other side of the roof, everyone turning to face the two as they made their way to the center of the area.

Danny turned his gaze upwards as a large horde of ghosts flew across the bay, gradually making their way for the tower. One by one, each group of specters circled the tower, finally hovering above the tower, showing the massive army they actually had to battle the monsters in the city.

Taking a final calming breath, Danny stepped forward, gazing out at the large army. "As you all can see, this probably isn't the army you were expecting. But that doesn't mean we still can't win. We are the only line of defense. If we go down, the rest of the world will follow." He turned his gaze upwards, staring hard at the ghosts. "Both of our worlds."

Robin walked forward, ready to explain the course of action they needed to take. "We will have to split off into sectors, travelling through the rest of the city. Divided amongst all of us, we should be able to hold off the creatures that are running through the streets. The League will take the north side of the city, half of the ghosts will take the south, the other half with take the east and the Titans East will take the west. That should leave plenty of cover for the remaining Titans, as well as the Fentons, Valerie and Dani to move forward and advance on Slade." He explained as he turned back to Danny.

The boy nodded and turned to the others once more. "Everyone will need to keep your communicators on hand. We'll need to keep track of everyone during this. If just ONE group falls, it won't be long until the others do as well. We CAN"T let that happen, so make sure you watch each others' backs." Danny explained.

"If we work together, not as separate teams, but as one unit, we can do this. I know we can! We _have to."_ Danny finished, staring out at the assembled army. Just as they were nodding in understanding, a large rumbling shook the earth, the tower quaking under their feet. They fell to the ground as the ocean waves began to whip and crash at the base of the tower, the city before them seeming to crack and splinter as small explosions could be seen echoing throughout the streets and buildings.

Danny whipped around to Robin, the Boy Wonder trying hard to stay standing as the ground continued to rattle and shake. "I think that's our cue to wrap this up while there's _still_ a city left to save." He shouted over the rumbling. Danny nodded and turned back to the army. "You have your orders! GO!" He shouted.

They ghosts quickly broke up into their assigned groups and flew out towards the city. Bumblebee grabbed Speedy, the boy letting out an annoyed shout, the girl countering with an angry shout as she flew up into the air, the boy in tow as she made her way towards the city, Aqualad diving over the edge of the roof, the waves cushioning his descent as he rode the waters towards the city, Mas and Menos quickly locking hands as they ran across the water.

The Leaguers hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure you kids can do this?" Superman asked, hovering in the air above them. Robin narrowed his eyes. "If anyone can do this, it's us."

Superman nodded and flew off towards the city, Hawkgirl, Manhunter and Wonder Woman quickly following, Flash zooming across the water below them. Batman turned back, gazing at Robin and the others. "Good luck." He growled deeply as he turned back to Lantern, a green platform appearing beneath both of their feet as they sped off towards the city.

Turning back to the others, Danny smirked slightly as he gazed at the team, Robin standing at his side. "So...who wants to save the world?"

* * *

 **City Hall**

City Hall.

Once a place of protection.

A place representing the people of Jump City.

A place that gave them hope.

Now nothing but ruins. The front steps now shattered and scattered across the street. The entrance was now blown wide open, a full view of the city clearly visible from the gaping hole. And right in the middle of the carnage, of the shattered windows and fallen bricks sat Slade. In the center of the room, the man sat comfortably in a large throne, overlooking the city.

He smirked as he saw the large mass over Titans Tower disperse and make their way towards the city. Towards _his_ city. "Fine. Let them come. I've been waiting for you, Titans." He growled with a grin.

"Let the games begin."


	35. Chapter 35: Last Stand Part l

_**Special shout out to Kid-Genius1 who helped Beta this chapter.**_

 **Chapter 35: Last Stand Part l**

* * *

The wind rushed past Danny's face as he sped through the air. Cyborg drove the T-car alongside him, Sam, Tucker and Beastboy occupying the vehicle with the robot. Robin sped past on the R-cycle, Starfire, Dani and Raven flying alongside Danny while Valerie flew on her hoverboard above the Fenton RV, Jack, Maddie and Jazz readying themselves inside.

Robin turned his head as the orange glow over the city began to grow as they steadily approached. "We're almost there!" He called to the group, everyone speeding up quickly, wanting to get to the city as quickly as possible. Danny turned his head to gaze at the group. "So how are we supposed to find Slade? I mean, the city's pretty big. Besides, if he wanted to be found, he'd have shown himself by now." He explained.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "I guess we'll have to figure it out quickly. We're here." He said grimly as they passed the city borders. Starfire gasped as a full view of the city was seen by the group. The streets were now piles of rubble and asphalt, cracks running up and down the stretches of road. The buildings that towered above them had cracked shattered windows, blackened walls and fallen bricks that clattered to the ground at the slightest movement. Danny turned his head to stare down into one of the deeper cracks, gasping as a pair of small red eyes blinked back at him. He shuddered as the eyes continued to warily gaze at him as the group passed.

Various explosions could be seen and heard deeper into the city, no doubt a result of the other groups as they encountered more fire monsters. Danny slowly began to lower himself to the ground, the others beginning to slow up as well until they came to a stop in city center. Robin removed his helmet as he stepped off the cycle. "If Slade's anywhere in the city, he'll be around here, in the center of the city." He explained.

Cyborg stepped out of the car, Sam, Tucker and Beastboy doing the same. The Fentons grabbed their guns and warily glanced around the city as they exited the RV. The streets were silent as the group quietly walked along the broken path, glancing at the buildings and alleys around them, warily watching for the monsters that were sure would attack.

Robin turned back towards the group. "Raven, see if you can sense Slade anywhere. With the power he's using, he should be putting out a strong signal." Raven nodded, her eyes beginning to glow slightly with a white hue. They remained silent as the sorceress twisted around slowly to follow the strong waves she felt.

She stiffened as her magic locked on to an especially strong heat source. Her eyes returned to their normal amethyst shade as she turned back towards the group. "This way." She said, pointing deeper into the city's heart. Robin nodded and motioned for the rest of the group to follow as they walked silently behind the sorceress.

"Umm...aren't there supposed to be horrible monsters around here trying to eat us?" Beastboy asked, scratching the back of his head as he continued to walk. "Maybe they won't bother us." Tucker stated with a small smile, hoping it turned out true. Sam glared at him. "Don't say that! Whenever you say something like that..." She started, only to trail off as a deep growl echoed off of the buildings around them. "Then _that_ happens!" She finished, punching the boy in the arm.

They froze, wildly whipping around, trying to figure out where the attacks would come from. Sadly, the answer came rather quickly. The ground under their feet started to shake violently, the group dropping to their knees to avoid falling over. Suddenly, the ground exploded, dozens of creatures spilling out of the cracks once more, others coming in from the nearby alleys and down from the roofs of broken buildings, quickly surrounding the large group.

Danny narrowed his eyes as he flew up into the air above the team, his hands beginning to glow an eerie green that matched his eyes as he scanned over the large army that lay before him, the creatures glaring back at him and the others like hunter to prey.

Robin tightly gripped his staff, twirling it in front of him as he glanced around at the creatures, trying to decide which to attack first.

Cyborg raised his arm, circuits adjusting and reconfiguring to create his sonic cannon, now locked on to one of the nearby monsters.

Beastboy transformed into a gorilla, smashing his fists down onto the destroyed pavement, glaring back at the monsters before him, .

Raven's cloak billowed behind her as she levitated in the air, hands glowing with magic as she readied herself, the massive heat source that she was certain was Slade's energy still in the back of her mind, realizing they would have to get past the horde of monsters to reach him.

Starfire's fists curled and uncurled as her eyes began to glow an electric green, not unlike Danny's.

Sam charged up her fists, the gloves beginning to spark with purple electricity.

Tucker unfurled his whip, cracking it on the ground in front of him, the creatures snarling at the cracking sound.

Jazz tightly gripped her staff, the ends sparking with green energy as the electricity flowed from tip to tip.

Dani flew up next to her cousin, mirroring his determined look as she charged up her own hands with green energy.

Blasters appeared on Valerie's shoulders as well as on her board as she aimed her weapons for various creatures that surrounded them, realizing with a small smirk that she was severely disobeying her fathers orders of staying out of trouble.

Maddie cocked her gun, the blaster whining as it charged up, ready to start blasting for her life, Jack doing the same beside her.

The creatures before them varied incredibly from creatures smaller than a fist, to monsters large than cars. Lions with raging manes that seemed to flicker and waver according to the cat's rage, the fire whipping back and forth at the creature gazed at the group before it. Centaurs that scratched at the ground below it as it longed to lunge for it's prey. Chimeras that hungrily licked their lips as the three heads glanced back and forth between each person. Manticores that flickered their poisonous tails back and forth, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike down with it. Skeleton soldiers with flaming weapons that they dragged across the pavement, the horrid sound of scrapping metal ringing in the group's ears. Even fairy-like creatures, with small bug-like wings that beat hundreds of times per second, with sharp teeth, long claws and two pairs of dark red eyes quickly flew back and forth in the air, hungrily waiting to devour its prey.

Danny slowly flew down next to Robin. "We'll have to get past them in order to get to Slade." He whispered to the boy next to him. Robin nodded in agreement, gripping his staff tighter as the creatures around them began to slowly approach, shrinking the gap between them. He narrowed his eyes as the creatures lunged.

"Titans, together!"

* * *

The group surged forward, meeting the creatures head-on as the two forces collided.

Robin slammed his staff into the centaur's head, the creature snarling in anger as it whipped around intent on smashing the boy, only to cry out in fury as a green blast hit it in the side, sending the monster skidding across the pavement. Danny narrowed his eyes as he encased the creature in ice, Robin shattering the ice with a pack of explosives, the black ashes falling to the ground.

Danny quickly flew over, trapping the black dust in a thick layer of ice. "That should stop it from regenerating. For a while at least." He sighed, turning back to Robin, blasting a creature back as it tried to sneak up behind the Boy Wonder. Robin nodded his appreciation and leapt back into battle, Danny flying besides him, only to gasp as a green blur knocked into the pair.

Danny groaned and quickly sat up, surveying the area for what had hit them. His eyes landed on Beastboy, who now lay sprawled out on top of Robin, who shoved the changeling off of him. Danny offered a hand, helping both boys up, only to quickly create a green shield around them as a group of lions charged, the monsters relentlessly beating against the dome.

Danny groaned at the pressure, his arms visibly shaking as he continued to hold up the shield as the creatures continued to beat against it. "Anytime, guys!" He called behind him as he felt the dome start to crack under the strain. "On my mark..." Robin called, the two boys readying themselves. "Drop!" He shouted, Danny obediently retracting the shield, Robin leaping over his head, slamming his staff down onto one of the beast's heads while Beastboy sliced the other across the chest, the green bear growling as it drove the creature back.

Danny flew back into the air, firing a barrage of bolts at the lion that now towered over Robin. The cat snarled in fury as Danny flew by, the boy firing another group of shots. He narrowed his eyes as he fired once again, but not at the creature, instead at the pavement under it. The lion roared out in anger as the pavement underneath it gave way and it fell through, Danny latching onto Robin right before the boy fell in as well.

Robin let out a sigh of relief as he gazed at the rushing sewer water that lay below the pavement. "Thanks. I really don't feel like taking another plunge into those sewers." He sighed as Danny placed him on the ground. " _Another?"_ Danny asked with a smirk.

Robin glared back at him. "Tell ya' later." He yelled, pushing Danny out of the way as Starfire and Valerie zoomed past them, a horde of fairies right on their tail. "I thought fairies were meant to be sweet creatures!" Starfire yelled as she dodged another fairy as it zoomed past her, large teeth intent on sinking into her flesh. "These aren't no Tinker Bells!" Valerie screamed back, gasping as a warning light began to blink at the foot of her board.

She cocked her head in confusion, glancing behind her, her eyes widening in shock as she realized what the fairies were doing. They were chewing through her board! One of the creatures lifted their tiny arm, large claws sinking into the metal of her board as though it were butter, slicing through the wires and ripping them out of the circuits. "Hey!" She shouted in anger, small blasters appearing on top of the board, blasting the fairies back.

The creatures shook their heads and narrowed their four beady red eyes, extending their wings once more as they picked up speed, flying alongside the girls, then quickly surpassing them as they flew ahead. The girls glanced at each other in Confusion, until the creatures stopped a few feet ahead of them and opened their mouths, letting out an ear-piercing shriek.

The girls placed their hands over their ears as they tried to block out the noise. The windows in the nearby buildings shook, then shattered into millions of little pieces that rained down on the streets below. Robin narrowed his eyes and reached into his belt, pulling out a handful of black pellets. He raised his head to glare at the the group of shrieking creatures and threw the pellets as hard as he could, the objects exploding in the middle of the horde.

The fairies shrieked and fell to the ground. Danny quickly flew up, freezing the small creatures in solid blocks of ice mixed with ectoplasm, trapping them in the confines. Valerie and Starfire flew back down to the ground. "We thank you for the rescue, friends!" Starfire beamed, a small appearing on her lips.

Danny smiled slightly at the girl's cheery attitude, only to cry out as an fiery blast hit him in the chest knocking him backwards. Robin's eyes widened as a chimera landed in front of him, standing on its hind legs, ready to smash the boy beneath it, only to be hit in the side by a green and pin blast.

Valerie hopped back on her board, Starfire flying next to her as the two girl s flew after the creature, who roared in anger and unfurled it's large reptilian wings. Flying into the air, the chimera roared in fury, diving straight for the girls, who separated and flew in different directions. The creature decided to follow Starfire as it quickly flew after her.

The alien flipped over in the air, facing the creature as she continued to fly. Charging up her starbolts, the girl fired a barrage of blasts at the creature, who nimbly dodged them. Suddenly, Starfire felt teeth sink into her ankle as the chimera taught up with her. She yelped inn surprise as the large creature dragged her to the ground, looming over her with dripping fangs.

The dragon head opened its mouth, an orange glow seen from the back of its throat as it prepared to shoot another blast of fire. Starfire gasped and ducked her head, only to widen her eyes as the chimera was ensnared in a glowing pink net. She turned her head to see Valerie on her hoverboard, the net attached to her board. "Let's go for a ride, shall we?!" She shouted as she flew higher into the air, dragging the trapped creature along with her.

The chimera snarled in fury, the flames around its body heating the area around it, the net beginning to melt away until the creature spread its wings, freeing itself from its confines. Valerie narrowed her eyes and sped through the air, the chimera quickly following. Large blasters appeared on her board as they shot pink blasts straight for the creature. It roared and ducked under the bolts, flaring its wings, the tips beginning to glow a fiery orange color. It snarled and flapped its wings as hard as it could, sending a wave of fire towards Valerie.

Her eyes widened at the oncoming blast, dodging to the left mere seconds before the wave hit. She was unharmed, but the same couldn't be said for her board, which was now starting to smoke. She gasped as the board retracted into her suit and she started to plummet to the ground. She let out a scream of terror as she saw the chimera dive towards her, claws outstretched, ready to capture it prey.

Suddenly, she felt strong hands catch her by the waist. She turned to the side to see Starfire smiling slightly at her. Valerie smirked back. "Let's see if we can outrun this jerk!" She shouted, Starfire nodded in agreement, putting on an extra burst of speed as she flew through the air, the creature closely following. Valerie turned, firing a string of blasts from a gun attached to her arm.

The creature roared in fury as a single blast hit it int he shoulder, causing it to falter in the air, giving Star the perfect opening as she flew forward, her fist glowing a bright green as she blasted the creature in the chest, knocking it to the ground. The two girls exchanged glances, then flew down to the ground as well, landing a few ways off from the crater the creature had now created.

Without warning, the chimera burst from the smoke, glaring intently at the girls as it fired a blast at them. Suddenly, a blue dome encircled them, a wave of cold hitting them as the temperature around them dropped considerably. They smiled at the sight of Danny, the boy producing an ice shield around them. "Would you ladies like some help?" He called over his shoulder. Valerie smirked, placing a hand on her hip. "Not like we needed it, but knock yourself out."

Danny smiled slightly, turning back to focus on the chimera, intent on keeping it's attention on him. Thankfully, the creature did just that as it tried to break through the dome. As it was occupied, it didn't even notice Robin sneaking up behind it until it was too late as the boy threw an ice bomb under it, the creature exploding in a blast of icy shards.

Danny dropped the shield an ran back over to Robin. The area around them was vivid with the sound of fighting and explosions as the rest of the team continued to do the same as the boys. "Heads up." Robin growled as a handful of more creatures began to surround them. Danny narrowed his eyes as a bear charged him. He held out his hands, producing a small shield from his hands as the bear swiped a claw at him. He ducked under another swung, diving under the creatures legs as he reappeared behind it, blasting it across the road.

He wasn't even able to take another step before he was grabbed by a large serpent. He groaned and fought against the restraints as the snake wrapped its tail around him, the heat from its body burning away at his skin.

Robin took a step forward, intent on lending aid, only to have his path blocked by a pair of skeleton soldiers. He narrowed his eyes, gripping his staff as he leapt into the air, slamming his staff down onto the skeleton's shoulder, cracking the bone underneath. The boy rolled onto the ground, propping himself up. A small smirk appeared on his lips at the damage he caused, only to be replaced with shock as the bone began to mend and heal on its own. "Great." He muttered as the skeletons charged. He slid underneath their legs, placing a batch of explosives as he did so.

The bombs went off, the bones scattering across the road as the dust settled. He quickly reached into his belt, throwing a handful of ice pellets onto the ground, freezing the bones tot he the cement, making sure they wouldn't regenerate once more.

Robin let out a small sigh of relief, quickly whipping around as he remembered Danny, only to cry out in surprise as a pair of large talons grabbed onto his shoulders and hoisted him up into the air, quickly flying his up over the area. He glanced up to see the lion's body and eagle head and talons of a griffin. "Even better!" He shouted in annoyance as the talons began to burn through his uniform and dig into his flesh.

He twirled his staff, pressing a small button on the side, three metal prongs appearing on top of the stick, each sparkling with electricity. He narrowed his eyes and rammed the prongs into the griffin's gut. The creature shrieked in fury as pain erupted throughout its body and it released its prey. Unfortunately for Robin, it released him as he was hundreds of feet in the air.

He let out a scream of shock and terror as he began to plummet to the ground. Suddenly, he heard a small chuckle and a pair of hands grab him under the arms, stopping his rapid descent. He turned his head as Danny continued to chuckle. "You know, Robin. I know this is how they teach birds how to fly in the wild, but there are better ways to learn."

Robin snorted. "Very funny." He growled as he rolled his eyes, the small smile quickly disappearing. "Hey Danny!" He called. Said boy glanced down at the teen in his grasp. "Griffin's back. And he looks pretty angry!" He shouted. Danny glanced to the side, his eyes widening as the griffin screeched in anger, diving straight for them. "Crap! Hang on, Robin! This is gonna get bumpy!" He growled, diving to the ground, pulling up at the last second, the griffin doing the same as it stayed locked onto their path.

"Man, I can't shake this thing!" Danny cursed as he continued to duck and weave between buildings and cars, only to have the creature follow his movements. All of a sudden, a green blast whizzed past his head and slammed into the griffin, the animal plummeting to the ground. A shocked Danny quickly turned back to where the blast had come from, watching as his parents continued to fire at the griffin.

"Thanks guys!" Danny called as he zoomed past. "No problem, sweetie!" Maddie called back, turning towards the griffin once more, continuing to relentlessly fire a barrage at the downed creature until at that remained was a pile of rubble, a small trail of black ashes trickling out through the cracks in the rocks.

Finally landing, Danny placed Robin onto the ground, the boys finally taking a moment to catch their breaths. A moment that was short-lived as a roar echoed overhead. They groaned in response, readying themselves once more. "Getting tired?" Robin asked with a smirk. Danny cocked a grin. "You kidding? I could do this all day!" He sighed, only to get slammed back against the pavement as a large manticore landed in front of them.

Robin narrowed his eyes, reaching into his belt once more, only to have his eyes widen in shock as two black and blue shots hit the creature in the side, knocking it across the road. He turned his head as Cyborg and Raven ran over. "I see you guys met Simba." Cyborg grumbled as Danny reappeared, rubbing his now sore back. "Yeah, the guy's a hoot." The Ghost Boy sighed, rotating his shoulder.

The manticore snarled as it picked itself up off the ground, scorpion tail thrashing wildly behind it as it charged the group. Danny and Raven flew up into the air, firing shot after shot at the creature as Cyborg and Robin fired from below. Danny charged up his hands, firing a barrage of bolts at the creature, knocking it backwards as Raven hurled various magic-coated objects towards the manticore, the creature twisting and dodging out of the way as more and more objects were sent his way from the sorceress.

Cyborg stopped his attacks for a moment, turning back to Robin. "I got the sonic if you got the boom." He called. Robin smirked slightly as he reached for one of his explosives, throwing it towards the creature, Cyborg firing a blast from his cannon at the same time, the two attacks combining together, creating a powerful blast that knocked the manticore back into the pavement.

Suddenly, a large explosion was seen past one of the buildings. The group glanced at each other for a moment before back at the manticore as it began to regain focus. "You two go deal with that, we'll handle this." Raven said, her hands glowing once more with energy as the manticore charged, creating a black shield around them.

The two boys nodded and ran in the direction of the blast, arriving on the scene just as Sam was knocked to the ground by the Minotaur's mace as it swung the weapon back and forth. Tucker took this opportunity to crack his whip, the rope hitting the creature in the hand, the mace dropping to the cement at the attack. The creature narrowed its eyes and grabbed the whip, yanking Tucker forward.

The boy yelped in surprise as the creature hoisted him up by the front of his shirt, rearing a fist back, ready to strike. But before the creature could inflict any damage, a glowing green staff whacked the back of the creature's knees, its legs crumpling underneath it. Tucker gasped as he was dropped, scooting away on the pavement as Sam ran over. The Minotaur snarled as it whipped its head around to glare at Jazz, knocking the girl off her feet as it hit her in the shoulder.

Jazz grunted as she fell onto the pavement, gasping as the Minotaur loomed over her, horns gleaming as the sharp points glinted in the light. But before the creature could make another move, a black and white blur rammed into its stomach, knocking it off its feet. Jazz smiled at her brother, who gave a two-fingered salute as he flew back over to the monster, who turned to the side, eyeing its mace once more.

It snorted in anger as Danny flew towards him, reaching to the side, he gripped his mace tightly, swinging it as hard as he could at the oncoming boy, hitting him in the side of the head, knocking him across the pavement. "Danny!" The teens called as the Minotaur charged him as he tried to get to his shaking knees.

As the creature bared down on the dazed teen, a green blast slammed into the monster's head, sending it flying backwards. The others watched as Dani flew into the air, firing a steady stream of bolts at the monster, who snarled in anger. Jazz twirled her staff as she ran over to the monster, Sam and Tucker doing the same. While the others were keeping the creature at bay, Robin ran over to Danny, who was still trying to clear his head of the ringing.

As he knelt down next to the wobbly boy, Robin noticed a steady stream of blood trickling down the boy's head. Brushing away the hair, Robin noticed a long gash that lay across the boy's head, blood leaking out from the wound. Reaching into his belt, Robin pulled out a small rag, placing it against the boy's head. "Robin, I'm fine." Danny insisted as he slowly stood back up. Robin narrowed his eyes, not buying it for a minute. "Uh-huh, right..." He smirked slightly.

Danny growled at him. "In case you haven't noticed, you aren't doing so hot either. Just look at your shoulder!" He shouted. Robin glanced to his side, realizing for eh first time just how much damage the griffin had caused as he noticed the stream of blood that tricked down his arm. "I'm okay, can't even feel it." he reassured the boy. Danny narrowed his eyes. "i don't think that's a good thing..."

Robin rolled his eyes and turned away. "Its just the adrenaline. Now come on! We should go help the oth..." He started, only to trail off as a howl echoed off the walls surrounding them. The wolf didn't take long to leap down from one of the nearby alleys snarled at him, driving him back a step. "Sure, but who's gonna help us?" Danny asked, his hands lighting up with green energy once more.

The wolf whipped its tail back and forth, the flames that ignited it waving wildly in the wind as it slowly approached the two boys. Robin narrowed his eyes as he reached back into his belt, pulling out two smoke pellets, which he threw forcefully onto the ground in front of the wolf. The pellets exploded, creating a screen of smoke that engulfed the animal. Danny flew forward, ramming his shoulder into the blind wolf's chest, knocking it right into Robin, who swung his staff forward, sending the wolf flying into one of the nearby cars.

The wolf snarled, raising it's flaming head, the creature let out an ear-splitting howl. The boys cried out and fell to their knees, placing their hands over their ears as they tried to block out the sound. Danny slowly extended one of his hands and fired a weak blast at the wolf. It was enough to startle the creature, giving the ghost boy a chance to fly over and encase the creature in ice.

Robin ran forward once more, smashing the ice into millions of pieces, Danny kicking the shards into one of the nearby cracks in the pavement, the particles falling into the sewage drains below. Before the boys could even take another breath, they were knocked to the ground, giant paws placed on their chest, holding them in place.

Danny gasped at the creature, a large three-headed dog, larger than a truck now held them down, fiery claws piercing their chests as the creature held them down, baring its fangs at them. All of a sudden, a red blur sped past the creature, distracting it long enough for it to get bowled over by a large blast of water from one of the nearby fire hydrants.

Robin groaned and sat up, Danny doing the same besides him, their gaze falling on Flash, Aqualad, Bumblebee, Hawkgirl and Speedy as the heroes quickly approached. Robin stared at them in confusion. "I thought you guys were watching the north and west sides of the city." He said as Aqualad helped him and Danny up.

"We were, until they all started to flock towards the center of the city, towards you guys. SO we came to help." Hawkgirl said as she flew down. Aqualad nodded in confirmation. "The ghosts are holding back the other creatures from getting here, keeping them separated. We should have a chance as long as they don't all regroup."

Danny nodded in understanding, suddenly finding himself surrounded by the rest of the League, and Titans as they all approached. Everyone looked burnt and scratched, but otherwise, nobody looked seriously hurt other than a burnt arm here and a bleeding leg there. The most serious injuries were on Robin and Danny, but even those the boys couldn't feel in the excitement.

Batman turned to face them. "Have you got a location on Slade?" He asked. Raven nodded. "I've locked onto his heat signature. If I'm correct, then that's where all the creatures are headed as well." She explained as she flew up into the air, the others quickly following behind her.

As the large group traveled through the streets, they noticed the creatures running besides them, obviously traveling back to their masters. Even though the monsters paid no attention to the group, Raven still created as shield around them as they ran, just in case any of the monsters got any ideas.

Raven gasped and stopped abruptly, her shield falling as well as she caught a glimpse of the sight in front of her. The others reared back in surprise behind her as they saw the scene before them.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of creatures swarmed the ground and the air around City Hall, none of them moving a muscle other than the ones who flapped their wings to stay airborne. All of their eyes were locked onto the center of City Hall, where a shadow slowly made its way through the rubble of the building. His body was covered head to toe in glistening black metal, slashes of orange running through it. His mask now had many cracks at the corner of his eyes, which spilled out red light from beneath it. A glistening silver sword could be seen in the man's hands as he walked forward and stared out at his assembled army. But what really stuck out was the glowing gem in the center of his chest, pulsing with energy as it fed into the man.

Slade.

He gazed out at his assembled army, then finally looked out at the group of heroes, who stared back warily at the sight. Slade smirked as he gradually flew into the air, hovering above them. "I see you've finally summed up enough courage to face me. Although most would call it stupidity." He sneered darkly, his voice seeming to have a slight echo to it as he spoke.

Robin felt his body shudder at the sound of the man's voice. Shaking his head to clear himself of the fears, he turned back to him. "And you're nothing but a coward, Slade! Hiding behind the gem's power! You hide because you know you could _never_ defeat us without it!" He snarled back.

Slade narrowed his eyes. "Is it cowardice, Robin? Or is it just intelligence at its finest? Either way, you won't be able to win. NOT THIS TIME!" He roared, flying back over his army, raising his hands over his head. The creatures followed his commands, grouping together into three different sections. As they did, they started to circle each other, faster and faster until they created a vortex of their swirling bodies.

The group took a wary step backwards as the swirls of bodies kept growing and growing. As the monsters circled each other, their bodies began to combine and morph together. Finally, a thousand creatures became three. The dragons towered higher that the buildings around them, flames dancing across their scales. The monsters flared their large wings to the sky, opening their mouths, spouts of fire erupting from their open maw.

"Aw crap..." Beastboy whispered, voicing all of their thoughts as the dragons lowered their massive heads, glaring at the group of heroes, snarling once more before lunging.


	36. Chapter 36: Last Stand Part ll

**Chapter 36: Last Stand Part ll**

* * *

"Scatter!" Robin shouted as the dragons lunged, the group quickly leaping out of the way of the monsters as they snapped their jaws shut on empty air. Snarling in rage, the dragons separated from each other, leaping in between the large group of heroes. "Try and separate them!" Superman yelled as he flew up into the air, landing a hard punch in between the eyes of one of the dragons, who roared in fury.

Superman dove to the ground, pulling up at the last second, the dragon now focusing on the Leaguers as they led the dragon farther down the block. The Titans East nodded in understand and went after the other dragon, Bee zapping the tail of the fire creature as she flew by. Aqualad and Speedy kept it distracted while Mas and Menos whirled around it, confusing it long enough for Speedy to shoot a group of explosive arrows, hitting the beast in the chest. The dragon snarled in rage and quickly flew after the two boys, who led the beast farther downtown, away from the last creature.

Robin turned back to face the last dragon, who snarled in anger and slammed it's claws down on the concrete. "Guess we get Smokey." Beastboy sighed, transforming into a pterodactyl, flying up into the air. Starfire grabbed Cyborg, hoisting the metal man into the air with her, sonic blaster ready. Danny narrowed his eyes, grabbing Robin under the arms, and leaping into the air. Jack and Maddie charged up their blasters as they took cover behind on of the nearby overturned cars, aiming high for the dragon's head.

Beastboy landed on the dragon's shoulder, transforming into a T-Rex, he snapped his teeth down onto the dragon's scales, ripping through the skin. The dragon roared in fury and whipped its tail around, driving Beastboy off. Cyborg grit his teeth and fired a large blue blast at the creature, hitting it in the chest, sending it stumbling backwards.

The dragon snarled and slashed its claws through the air, hitting both Starfire and Cyborg, knocking the two back down to the ground. A blackbird of magic appeared in front of the creature. Flaring its wings, it blinded the monster with light, hitting it with a powerful blow as it did so. The dragon snarled and opened its mouth, hitting the bird with a burst of fire, dissipating the magic around it.

Danny threw Robin up into the air, the boy throwing a pair of pellets at the creature. The objects exploded in front of the dragon, encasing its eyes in ice. The monster snarled and whipped its tail back and forth in anger as it tried to clear its vision once more. Danny grabbed hold of the boy once more as he fell, dropping him down onto one of the nearby building roofs, flying back into battle himself.

Charging up a large ball of ecto-energy, Danny hurled the massive orb towards the dragon, the energy exploding as it made contact with eh creature's head, knocking it backwards. Diving back towards the ground, Danny whistled to Tucker, the boy running over. Grabbing onto his shoulders, Danny hoisted him up into the air. "Grab your whip!" He yelled. Tucker nodded and gripped the rope tightly.

Danny narrowed his eyes and flew close to the dragon's legs. Weaving in between the four limbs, the two boys wrapped the rope in and out of the legs until they were fully tangled. Flying back out into the open, Danny glanced back to the boy. "Now!" He yelled.

Tucker grit his teeth and yanked as hard as he could on the whip, the rope tightening around the dragon's legs, entangling them together. The creature roared in fury as he became unbalanced. The others saw this as their opening and flew forward. Cyborg nodded to Beastboy, the changeling transforming into a large triceratops. Cyborg grabbed onto the dinosaur's tail and twirled him around, letting him go as he hurtled towards the dragon, curling into a ball as he whizzed through the air.

The dragon was hit right in the chest as Beastboy rammed into him, the force knocking him down to the ground. Starfire, Dani and Valerie took the opportunity to fly down and fore a barrage of bolts at the downed dragon, creating a plume of smoke to rise into the air at the attack. Silence filled the air as everyone held their breath, waiting to see whether it was enough to defeat the large monster.

It was not.

The dragon burst through the smoke, whipping its tail forward, slamming the three girls backwards into one of the nearby buildings. Sam and Jazz nodded to each other, leaping forward, Sam bent down on one knee, holding her hands out. Jazz leapt forward, placing a foot down on the girl's hands, who pushed her up into the air. Jazz narrowed her eyes and stabbed her staff down into the shoulder.

The creature roared in anger and slammed it's claws down into Jazz, knocking her back into Sam, the two girls flying across the pavement. Maddie grit her teeth and fired the Fenton bazooka, the blast hitting the dragon in between the eyes. The creature roared in fury as it twisted its head around to stare at the women, teeth gleaming as it bared its fangs. Maddie narrowed her eyes and fired again, Jack doing the same besides her.

The dragon snarled and charged. The two gasped and took a step back, tripping over the cracks in the pavement. Jack placed his arm around Maddie, shielding her from the blast that was sure to come. Only it didn't come. They opened their eyes to see Danny hovering over them, a blue shield around them as the dragon fired a continuous stream of fire at the shield.

Danny groaned and grit his teeth, pushing harder against the dome as he fought to keep it in place. Suddenly, a batch of explosive nailed the dragon in the side of the head, knocking it backwards, Robin rolling on the ground a few paces off, readying another batch of explosives. Danny let out a sigh as he dropped the shield, kneeling on the ground as he tried to catch his breath. He felt a hand on his shoulder as his parents knelt down next to him. "You okay, sweetie?" Maddie asked as she looked her son up and down, checking for any serious wounds, not seeing any other than the cut on his head, which was still bleeding down the side of his face.

Danny nodded. "Yeah...I'm fine." He breathed, eyes widening a he saw the tail of the dragon whipping towards them. "Watch out!" He screamed, tackling his parents to the ground as the tail passed inches above their heads. Narrowing his eyes, Danny flew back into the air towards the dragon, Starfire and Raven quickly joining him. "You girls ready?" He asked as they faced the dragon once more, the creature occupied with the other boys below them.

They quickly nodded, the three teens joining together as they each placed a hand in the middle of the small circle. Spinning around, they each charged up their powers, creating a vortex of black and green, the force nailing the creature right in the chest, sending it flying across the street and into one of the nearby buildings.

Cyborg and Sam stood shoulder to shoulder, each firing blast after blast at the creature as they avoided the swipes and blasts it sent their way. Beastboy charged in the form of a rhino, stabbing his horn into the dragon's side. The creature let out a cry of fury as it slammed its claws down onto the pavement, Beastboy keeping back just in time as the claw crushed the asphalt underneath it.

The dragon stood once more as it flared its wings, glaring down at the group of teens below it, who were readying themselves for another round.

* * *

"Have I ever told you guys how much I hate dragons?!" Flash shouted as he zoomed out of the way of the dragon's tail as it smashed the ground.

The others ignored his comment as they continued to battle the fiery creature. Wonder Woman flew forward once more, ramming her shoulder into the dragon's chest, knocking the creature backwards. The monster snarled as it sliced a claw through the air, catching the Amazonian off guard as she was slammed into the ground.

The dragon growled and raised a leg, intent on smashing the woman under it's claws, only to feel chains clip onto it's legs and wings and drag it backwards. Lantern groaned as he dragged the dragon backwards, the green chains still clamped tightly onto its limbs. He gasped as a blast of fire was hurled at him, creating a green shield around him right before the blast hit, the force knocking him backwards.

Hawkgirl snarled and flew forward, ramming her mace down in between the creatures eyes, satisfaction running tough her at the sound of a crack. The dragon snarled in rage and twisted around, whipping its tail around, hitting the winged girl int he side, sending her flying into one of the nearby buildings.

Superman narrowed his eyes and dove towards the creature;s legs. Taking a deep breath, the man released a breath of ice, freezing the dragon's legs to the pavement. The creature roared as it tried to break through its confines, only to be hit in the chest with a pair of ice pellets, Batman rolling on the ground, readying more pellets as the dragon's chest froze just like his legs.

Flash zoomed around the creature, creating a red vortex around it. The monster roared in fury as it whipped its head around wildly, trying to figure out what was happening. Flash felt the electricity coursing through his as he ran, narrowing his eyes and he raised his arm, hurling a bolt of lightning towards the creature, hitting it in the side of the head.

The dragon roared in fury as it shook and fought against it's restraints, whipping its tail back and forth, hitting Flash in the chest, sending the man soaring through the air. He let out a yelp of shock as he felt himself free-falling through the air, only to be caught under the arms and brought back down to the ground. Glancing up, he saw Manhunter nod to him, then fly back up into battle.

The dragon roared in fury as it finally broke through its restraints, shaking itself free of the frost that still clung to its scales, igniting itself in fire once more as it glared back at the heroes, who lined up in front of it, ready to continue.

* * *

Bee groaned as she was thrown back to the ground, the dragon snarling as it loomed over her. She gasped raised a hand to cover herself, only to feel wind rushing past her. She opened her eyes to see Mas and Menos quickly dropping her off onto the ground a few paces away from the dragon, quickly zooming back into battle.

The two boys quickly zoomed around the dragon, weaving in between its leg and around its wings. The creature roared in anger as it tried to lock onto the speeding blur. Slamming its claws down onto the pavement, the dragon flared its wings, flapping them back and forth, creating a powerful gust that sent the boys, as well as Aqualad and Speedy across the pavement.

Aqualad quickly stood back up and raised his hands, the fire hydrants around him quivering and shaking until they burst open , the water inside shooting out, rushing towards Aqualad. He narrowed his eyes and sent the water flying towards the dragon, quickly circling the dragon in a tornado of water. The creature roared as it tried to break through, only to have bursts of water blast him backwards.

The dragon snarled as he flared it wings, a wave of heat exploding out from his center, hitting the water around him, sending it shooting out n all directions, Aqualad flying backwards at the force of the attack, steam filling the air at the contact of water to the dragon's flaming scales.

Speedy grit his teeth and reached behind him, pulling out an arrow from the quiver that rested on his back. Pulling the arrow taut, Speedy released, the arrow whizzing through the air, until it came into contact with the scales in between the dragon's eyes. With contact, the arrow exploded, encasing the front of the dragon's snout and eyes in ice.

The creature roared in pain and rage as it clawed at its snout, tail whipping back and worth in agitation. Bee narrowed her eyes and shrink down, flying up to the creature, transforming back right as she delivered a powerful blow with her stingers to the dragon's face, driving the creature back as it stumbled across the pavement.

Aqualad ran forward, leaping into the air as he began to ride the waves under his feet towards the dragon's head. He narrowed his eyes and let out a yell as he shot his hands forward, the water shooting towards the dragon, wrapping around the creature's body.

Mas and Menos surged forward, spinning each other around as they ran, ramming the trapped dragon in the chest, knocking it backwards, where Speedy shot an arrow across the street, the line pulling taut as the dragon tripped over the wire, crashing onto the ground.

Bumblebee flew forward quickly, zapping the creature with her stingers, the dragon roaring in pain as the girl shocked him. Finally, the dragon curled its wings over himself, opening them up with a blinding light emanating from its core, blinding the teens. With one final flap of its wings, the teens were blown backwards.

The dragon stood once more as it snarled at the teens as they quickly regrouped. Flaring its wings, the dragon charged once more.

* * *

Robin landed hard on the ground as the dragon flapped its wings, the others quickly being blown back as well. Various groans could be heard as the group slowly stood back up, jumping out o the way as the dragon slammed its front legs down on the pavement where they stood moments ago.

Beastboy transformed into a mouse, scurrying onto the top of a car hood. "How are we supposed to beat something tougher that Godzilla?!" He asked, transforming back into a human. Robin narrowed his eyes as he threw another batch of ice pellets at the creatures legs, freezing them in ice. "I think I have an idea, but it's kind of crazy." He shouted to the others as they continued to dodge the bursts of flame the dragon continuously shot at them.

"Dude, we're fighting a giant dragon made up of thousands of other fiery creatures. Crazy isn't even a word to us!" Danny yelled back as he was slammed down into the ground as the dragon whipped its tail around. "Alright! Danny, you can create ectoplasm-infused ice, right?" He asked as he leapt out of the way of the smashing tail.

"Yeah, why?!" Danny shouted back as he joined Starfire in blasting at the creature's head. "This thing can easily break through regular ice, and we can't just suck it into the Fenton Thermos, not while it's still combined together. But if you infuse your ectoplasm into the ice, then the dragon shouldn't be able to break through and we should be able to sash it, right?" He called to the group.

"Theoretically, yes. Danny's used ecto-infused ice before. But are you sure that it will work on this many creatures at the same time?" Maddie called back as she continued to fire the Fenton Bazooka.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "We'll just have to chance it." He said. "Guys, we'll need to sidetrack it while Danny creates a blast big enough." He shouted to the others, who nodded in understanding.

"Titans, GO!" Robin shouted as the others leapt forward towards the dragon once more.

Starfire flew up, firing a barrage of starbolts at the dragon's had, while Maddie, Jack, Cyborg and Sam fired from below. The dragon roared in fury at the onslaught of blasts, Flaring its wings, the tips lighting with flame. "DUCK!" Cyborg yelled as the group roughly dropped to the floor right as the dragon flapped its wings, sending a wave of flame shooting out of the tips, blasting right over their heads, the scorching heat still felt as it flew past them.

Jumping back up, Beastboy transformed into a crow, flying high into the air. he landed on the dragon's shoulder, transforming himself into a cobra, the snake launched forward, sinking its teeth into the dragon's eye. The creature shrieked in pain and fury as it shook the snake off, which quickly transformed into an eagle. The dragon glared at the animal with its one good eye and sank its teeth into the bird's right wing.

The eagle screeched in pain as the dragon dragged it back, shaking it like a rag doll. "Beastboy!" Starfire shouted, Valerie and Dani quickly following as the girl flew towards the dragon. With the combined blasts of the three girls, the dragon let go of the bird, which quickly began to fall towards the ground.

Starfire gasped and dove towards him, catching the bird before it could hit the ground, gently placing him onto the pavement, where he transformed back into Beastboy, who painfully grasped his broken and bleeding arm. The group gasped as a shadow passed over them, the dragon looming as it flared its wings and opened its mouth, shooting a blast of fire.

Suddenly, a black dome encased the group, Raven appearing inside as she maintained the shield. The dragon snarled as it ceased the attack, charging the group. Raven dropped the shield and flew up into the air, encasing several cars along the side of the road with her magic as she hurled them at the dragon, which stopped its path and shielded itself with its wings as the cars crashed into it.

Tucker and Jazz ran forward, Tuck cracking him whip along the dragon's wings while Jazz slammed her staff into the dragon's legs. The dragon snarled and turned to face the two, only to get a face full of blue heat at Cyborg ran over, Sam at his side as the two blasted at the creature. A certain series of blasts aimed at the creature's wings caused the dragon to round forward, teeth snapping and claws slashing as it tried to make contact with one of the teens.

From behind one of the overturned cars, Danny could hear the crashed and explosions as the battle raged on. His gut told him to leap back into battle, to hel p his friends against the creature, but he knew he had to focus and create a blast big enough to take out the dragon. Suddenly he heard a familiar cry, stopping him in his tracks. Twisting around to gaze back at the battle from behind the car, Danny could make out Robin, Sam, Jazz and his parents on the ground, the others groaning a few paces off as they tried to regain focus.

The dragon roared in anger as it glared down at the five people, raising a leg, ready to crush the group under its claws. Danny narrowed his eyes. "NO!" He snarled, the ice around his hands being replaced by a large ecto-blast as he flew forward, ramming into the dragon, sending it flying backwards. Eyes glowing the same eerie green as his hands, Danny surged forward, grabbing the dazed dragon by the tail, sending green shockwaves through the creature, who roared in anger.

Dropping the large tail, Danny flew up into the air. "Come and get me!" He yelled as he soared higher into the air. The dragon snarled and unfurled its wings, taking off to the skies.

Robin and the others, stood up and gazed upwards at the two figures as they continued to fly higher and higher into the air. "What's he doing?" Cyborg yelled as he raised a hand to block the setting sun as he watched the two. "Following the plan." Robin realized as he watched Danny flip around and face the roaring dragon once more.

Danny narrowed his eyes, summoning another blast of ice, this time, infusing his ectoplasm deep into the core of the ice. "Come on...open wide..." He whispered to himself as the dragon steadily approached faster and faster, closing the gap between them. "Say AHH!" He shouted, the dragon letting out a roar as it opened it's mouth, an orange glow seen from the back of its throat as it readied a blast of fire.

Danny smirked and hurled the blast of ice into the dragon's open maw. The dragon barreled into teh boy, knocking him downwards with one slice of his claws. Dany let out a cry of shock as he crashed through one of the nearby buildings, the glass from the windows slicing through his arms and uniform as he landed hard on the pavement.

The others rushed towards him, but his attention was focused on the dragon as it dove towards them. The others gasped and huddled together, preparing for the dragon's final attack. Suddenly, ice began to crawl across the dragon's scales, more and more of his body turning to crystal as he dove until he was fully ice.

"Move!" Danny yelled, the others leaping out of the way as the ice dragon crashed into the pavement, shattering into a million pieces.

The others slowly and warily made their way closer to the shattered remains, letting out cheers and shouts of joy at the sight. Robin smiled and placed an arm around Danny, who smirked as Robin ruffled his hair. "Nice job, D!" He cheered. Danny ripped his head out of the boy's grip and smiled back, punching the boy in the arm.

Cyborg barreling through them, a huge grin plastered on his face as he placed an arm around both boys. "Alright, ya'll! We did it!" He hollered. Beastboy laughed and jumped onto the boy's shoulder, trying to ignore the pain in his arm. "I guess we'll have to put this show...ON ICE!" The changeling yelled with a grin, the others groaning at the horrible joke, not even noticing the ice crystals on the ground as they started to shake and vibrate.

Danny shook his head, glancing down for a second, eyes widening at the sight. "Uhh...guys..." He whispered softly as he began to back up a few steps. The others glanced at him in confusion, then gasped as they began to do the same as him at the sight. The ice encased ashes began to shake and spin, the frost cracking and shattering, releasing the many piles of dust as they began to spin.

Suddenly, the hundreds of ghosts that had made up the dragon stood before them, each glaring at the group with unadulterated hatred, the red glow in their eyes piercing through each person. "Well...at least we got rid of the dragon." Tucker said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The sound of cackling filled the air behind them. They quickly spun around to see Slade as he hovered over to them. "You see, Titans. My army will continue to regenerate until, bit by bit, they break you. You cannot win." He growled at them.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "We _will_ defeat you Slade. We know how!" He shouted in anger. Slade smirked. "Yes, I now about the gem's rules. Only one amongst you truly has a chance of defeating me." He said slowly as he gazed around at the group, narrowing his eyes as his gaze fell upon Danny, who glared back up at him. "I guess I'll have to eliminate him myself." He snarled as he shot forward faster than anyone could process, grabbing Danny by the front of his shirt and hurling him across the road.

"Danny!" The others yelled, readying themselves for battle, only to be blocked by the creatures as they snarled and growled at them. "Keep them busy. I have business to attend to." Slade growled to the creatures as he flew forward towards the area he had thrown the boy, the monsters surging forward towards the Titans.

Danny flew out of the rubble, ramming into Slade's shoulder, knocking him backwards. The two hovered in the air, saying nothing as they glared at each other, Danny's hands lighting with energy. Slade smirked and lit his own hands with balls of fire. The man glared at the boy, the only one standing in his way from total domination.

"Let's end this!"


	37. Chapter 37: Last Stand Part lll

**Chapter 37: Last Stand Part lll**

* * *

"Let's end this!" Slade snarled as he flew forward, thrusting his hands out, the flames shooting towards Danny, who quickly created a green shield to block them. But Slade was faster. Just as the blasts finished hitting against the shield, he flew forward, pounding his fists against it, the shield shattering at the blow, driving Danny back.

The boy shook his head and glared back at Slade, who was now stretching his hand down to his side. Suddenly, a long silver sword with deep black etches in the blade appeared in his hand. Danny narrowed his eyes. "New toy?" He asked. Slade smirked. "Just another gift from the gem." He growled darkly as he lunged forward, slashing the sword down on the spot Danny had been seconds ago.

Leaping out of the wary of the attack, Danny righted himself and delivered a hard kick to the man's chest, driving him back only a few inches. He narrowed his eyes and fired a large blast right at the man's head, creating a plume of smoke around them. As the smoke cleared, Danny saw that Slade's head was now crooked and bent at a gruesome angle. Suddenly, the man twisted his neck and straightened his head, a resounding crack echoing through the air.

Danny felt his heart start to beat faster. _This is SO not going to be easy_. He thought as the blade in Slade's hands began to glow. The etches in the metal started to become red hot as they coursed through the sword until the blade was engulfed in flame. _Not easy at all!_ He screamed at himself as Slade charged.

Danny tensed and dove down to the ground, Slade hot on his tail. Pulling up at the last second, Danny twisted around and became intangible, Slade passing right through him. Quickly becoming tangible again, Danny fired a shot at the man right as he turned around, hitting him in the shoulder.

Slade roared in anger and raised his free hand, a ball of fire erupting from his palm, hitting Danny in the chest, sending him flying through one of the buildings. Glass and brick flew everywhere as Danny landed roughly on the other side of the building. He groaned as he pushed himself up slowly, gasping as a shadow covered him. Leaping out of the way right as Slade's sword pierced the ground, Danny quickly flew into the air. Twisting around, he focused on the burning cold in his core, shooting it out straight at Slade, engulfing the man in a block of ice.

Sighing, Danny flew back down to the ground, warily taking a step closer to the ice. Suddenly, red cracks began to form in the pavement, shooting out from the icy confines. Danny gasped as a crack formed in front of him, exploding with fiery light, sending him flying backwards and into one of the nearby cars. The sound of sirens and flashing lights filled the air as Danny stood once more, his body now singed from the blast.

The ice around Slade exploded as the man soared into the air, firing a steady stream of attacks at the boy, who flew back into the air, twisting and turning to avoid the various attacks. Danny narrowed his eyes and created a green dome around him, the attacks harmlessly shooting off the shield. Slade growled and flew forward, intent on striking the shield himself. Danny kept his gaze straight on Slade as the man flew forward, drawing his fist back, ready to demolish the dome.

As soon as the man was a few paces away, Danny dropped the shield and shot a large blast at the man's open chest, sending him shooting backwards and into the pavement below. Flying back down, Danny hovered in the air, fists clenched as green energy swirled around them. Slade stood back up from the rubble, glaring hard at the boy. "Alright, Daniel. Let's see how well you handle my pets." He snarled as he snapped his fingers and a line of creatures appeared in front of him.

Danny paled as the creatures snarled and roared, lunging straight for him.

* * *

Robin gazed upwards momentarily, watching as Slade and Danny continued to battle in the air, only to be brought back to his thoughts as a roar filled the air. He leapt out of the way right as the manticore's tail pierced the ground near him. The creature snarled and lunged forward.

The boy twirled his staff and slammed in down into the creature's shoulder, sending it skidding sideways across the pavement. He reached int his pocket and pulled out three ice pellets, hurling them straight at the shaken creature, exploding on contact, encasing the animal in ice. "NOW!" He yelled upwards, Starfire flying past, shooting a barrage of starbolts at the ice, shattering it into nothing but crystals and ashes.

Flying back down, Starfire shot a bolt right over Robin's head, hitting the wolf right in the chest, sending it flying. Nodding his appreciation, Robin pressed a red button on his utility belt and began to run forward. Not even five seconds later, the R-cycle rounded the corner and automatically sped towards Robin, who leapt into the air, grabbing the handles as he came back down.

Twirling his staff with his free hand, Robin leaned down towards the ground, extending his staff as he did so. Various creatures were send crashing hard onto the pavement as Robin's staff knocked out their legs as he sped past. Reached for his belt, Robin pulled out all his ice pellets, hurling them one by one at different creatures, each becoming encased in ice.

Finally, once he was out of pellets, Robin sped towards the largest gathering of creatures. Narrowing his eyes, the boy leapt from the cycle, the vehicle speeding towards the group until it exploded on impact, taking the creatures with it.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake slightly. Glancing back at the others, who mirrored his look of confusion, Robin took a step backwards, bringing the small group together. "What the heck is that?!" Beastboy asked as he tried to stay balanced. "Uh-oh. I think we may have some company!" Dani shouted as she flew into the air to get a good look at what was causing the rumbling.

Hundreds of more creatures flooded towards them. "Come ON!" Tucker shouted as he readied his whip once more. Just then, a red blur zoomed past, encircling a large group of creatures in a vortex. Speeding back, Flash appeared in front of them. "Yeah...we got the dragon. But then it turned back into these guys." He said, pointing a thumb behind him at the creatures.

"We noticed. "Robin said as he narrowed his eyes and twirled his staff. Suddenly a large wave of water crashed into a large section of the creatures, sweeping them away. Aqualad rounded the corner, riding a tidal wave himself. "We brought backup!" He shouted, Bee, Speedy and Mas and Menos racing over, Wonder Woman, Manhunter, Lantern and the others joining them as well.

"Where's Daniel?" Superman asked as he gazed over the group. Robin turned his head upwards, the others following his gaze. They watched as Danny defended against a horde of creatures, Slade watching from not too far off, seeming to enjoy the show. Lantern narrowed his eyes. "He can't take him on by himself! We need to help!" he shouted, flying into the air, only to be blocked by a large group of snarling creatures. "We tried. The monsters won't let us get close!" Cyborg shouted.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Then we'll just have to take them down." He growled as he reached down and grabbed a group of batarangs. The others nodded as they turned to face off against the horde of creatures. The monsters snarled and scratched at the ground. Not able to hold themselves back any longer, they lunged forward towards the heroes.

The two forces collided, each blowing the other back at the battle commenced.

Leaping forward, Robin pointed the end of his staff down on the ground, hoisting himself up into the air, connecting his foot with a centaur's chest, sending the creature tumbling across the pavement. Reaching into his belt, Robin pulled out a handful of explosives, hurling them at the centaur, the devices exploding on impact, shrouding the creature in smoke.

Just as the smoke cleared, a loud screech filled the air. Robin glanced up to see a chimera charge him. Grabbing his grappling hook, Robin shot it at the nearest traffic light, shooting over the creature's head. Tightly gripping the pole, the boy swung around and shot himself towards the creature, sliding under its outstretched claws, taking out its back legs as he slid.

The creature roared as it fell to the ground. Twisting back around, it glared hard at Robin. Letting out a cry of rage, the creature charged towards him, only to receive a blue blast to the side, sending it tumbling across the pavement.

Turning his head, Robin saw Cyborg and Starfire racing over, a large bear quickly following. Robin narrowed his eyes and twirled his staff. The two teens glanced at him, watching as he gave them a silent command. Nodding in understanding, the two continued to lead the bear closer, splitting off right as they got to Robin. The bear didn't even notice the boy until it was too late and the staff was already swinging towards its nose.

A resounding crack could be heard as the staff connected with the end of the bear's nose, the creature roaring in pain. Starfire flew over, firing a continuous blast from her eyes, the bear turning tail at the attack. "Finally! I thought we'd never get rid of Yogi!" Cyborg sighed, placing his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Robin sighed as well as he finally allowed himself a moment to breath, glancing around at the others as they continued the battle.

Aqualad raised his hands, the water surging forward as it engulfed a pack of lions, Hawkgirl swing her mace at the ones that escaped the watery confines.

Dani, Valerie and Raven flew through the air as they were chased by flock of eagles. Twisting around, Dani dove under the birds, Valerie shooting a barrage of blasts at the creatures as they were distracted, Raven encasing the blasted birds in a bubble of her magic, slamming them down into the ground.

Beastboy transformed into a gorilla as he wrestled the manticore, doing his best with his injured arm. Eventually, the manticore slammed its wings down onto the boy's arm, the gorilla roaring in pain. Taking the opportunity, the monster pinned the gorilla down to the ground, the creature transforming back into Beastboy. The manticore snarled as it raised its stinger, intent on striking down on the young boy, only to be distracted by a red blur as it zoomed by. Shaking its head, the manticore leaned down once more, only to find that his prey was gone. Twisting around, the manticore watched as it was engulfed in a vortex of flashing red and yellow as Flash zoomed around it.

Batman hurled a handful of ice pellets straight at the chimeras, the objects encasing the creatures in solid blocks of ice. Lantern flew forward as he held his arm out in front of him, a large hammer materializing out of thin air as it slammed down onto a large group of the frozen creatures, completely demolishing them while Manhunter flew through the frozen creatures, smashing them down into small crystals.

Jack and Maddie fired from the Fenton RV, aiming for whatever monster they could. Sam, Tucker and Jazz rode on top of the large vehicle as it barreled through the streets, firing their own weapons at the creatures as they passed.

Bumblebee, Speedy, Mas and Menos worked to destroy a large group of skeletons, the creatures drawing their weapons as they charged the teens. Bee flew up into the air, raining down her stingers as she zoomed over the army. Speedy fired a barrage of his explosive arrows, the devices detonating as they made contact with skeletons, taking out a few at a time. Mas and Menos zoomed through the crowd, knocking soldiers off their feet as they went by.

Wonder Woman grabbed her lasso, wrapping it around a large group of monsters as she flew past, hoisting the creatures up into the air, slamming them back down into the pavement as she dove forward. Superman flew past her, freezing the tangled creatures with his breath as he zoomed past.

Turning back to Cyborg and Starfire, Robin gasped as his gaze traveled past them. "Don't get too comfortable. Yogi has friends!" He shouted to the two as a group of wolves rounded the corner. "Zarbags!" Starfire shouted, turning back to the boys, her cheeks blushing slightly. "Pardon my language, friends." She sighed as the wolves approached. "I'm right there with you, girl." Cyborg growled as he fired a blast from his sonic cannon at the ground of monsters, only to have them dodge and continue to charge.

"Oh, Zarbags!" He muttered as one of the nearest wolves tackled him to the ground. Cyborg growled as he reared back, ramming his fist into the wolf's snout, sending the creature spiraling backwards, only to be replaced with another monster as the rest surged forward.

* * *

Danny cried out as he was shot out of the air, crashing hard into the pavement. He sat up slowly, placing a hand to his head, quickly retracting as he felt warm liquid running down his hand. _Great._ He cursed to himself as he pushed himself back up right as the manticore stabbed its tail forward, the boy leaping out of the way right in time.

Narrowing his eyes, Danny grabbed the tail and swung the creature around in the air, sending it shooting back into the group of other monsters. Suddenly, Danny felt a strong force ram into his back, sending him crashing to the ground. A screech filled the air as he was grabbed by the ankles and hoisted up into the air.

Glancing up, Danny saw a pair of hawks above him, their talons digging into his ankles. "I'm really getting tired of you guys!" He shouted as he focused on his core once more, his body coursing with ice, sending waves through the birds, freezing them solid. He gasped as they started to plummet down to the ground, breaking free of their grasp right before they hit the ground, shooting back up into the air as the birds shattered on the street below.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Danny turned back around, coming face to face with a chimera, wings flaring as the creature dove for him. Eyes widening, Danny turned intangible, the creature harmlessly passing through him. He grit his teeth as he flew side by side with the creature, firing a large ecto-blast, ramming the creature, sending it tumbling through the air.

Suddenly, he felt something wrap around his waist, yanking him out of the sky and back down to the ground. He groaned as he struggled to escape the snake's grasp as it began to squeeze the air out of his lungs. Danny gasped as the snake continued to constrict. Hands glowing, he placed his palms down onto the creature's scales, firing a blast into the snake, driving it off of him.

Taking in mouthfuls of air, Danny struggled to sit up, groaning as the snake hissed ferociously, slithering back quickly. "These things can't take a hint, can they?!" He shouted to himself as he flew into the air, firing a barrage of blasts at the snake, the creature twisting and turning on the pavement to avoid the attacks. The monster let out one final hiss before it leapt into the air, teeth bared as it lunged for the boy.

Danny gasped and dove under the snake's teeth, the fangs catching his foot as he dove, sending him crashing into the ground. He let out a cry of pain as he placed weight on the ankle, kneeling back on the ground. His eyes widened as the loud hissing of the snake shook him out of his thoughts and back at into the task at hand.

Narrowing his eyes, Danny placed his hands together, a large blast of ice forming in between. Glaring back up, Danny raised his hands, hurling the blast straight at the creature's open mouth, the blast traveling deep inside the monster. The snake ceased its movement as the ice began to crawl across its body, turning it to crystal. It glared at the boy and lunged one final time, Danny raising his arms to shield himself, only to feel no pain.

Glancing back up, Danny saw that the snake had been frozen solid a few inches from him, mouth open for one final blow. Danny let out a sigh of relief as he twisted around and realized there were no more creatures around him. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, taking in large gulps of air, grateful for a few moments of peace.

Suddenly, a roar filled the air. Danny glanced up just in time to see the boot connect with his chest, a loud crack filling the air as he was thrown backwards and into one of the nearby cars. He groaned as he slowly pushed himself up, slower than usual as he turned to glare back at Slade. "You're strong boy. I'll give you that. But you're not strong enough." He growled as he pointed the tip of his sword towards the ground, the blade letting out a horrid scraping sound as the man dragged it across the pavement slowly as he walked towards the boy.

Danny narrowed his eyes and slowly rised to his feet, placing an hand on his chest as he tried to ease himself of the sharp pain in his chest. "Let's finish this, Slade." He growled. Slade said nothing as he raised the sword up, running his fingers slowly across the cold metal. "Very well. I shall make your end swift!" he snarled as he lunged forward.

* * *

Robin grit his teeth as he pushed up with all his might, his staff the only thing between him and the chimera's jaws. The creature stood on top of him, bending down as it tried to sink its teeth down into his shoulder, his staff now lay pressed up flat against the creature's chest as Robin pushed upwards with it, trying to shove the creature off of him.

His eyes widened as he saw the dragon head rear back and open its mouth, an orange glow appearing from inside its open maw. Giving one final shove upwards, Robin gained enough space to roll out of the way right as the blast of fire scorched the pavement underneath.

The monster roared in anger and flared its wings, whipping around, ramming its tail into Robin's side, sending the teen tumbling. He shook himself as he tried to clear his head of the ringing and pushed himself back up, gripping his staff tightly as the chimera charged. He grabbed the staff with both hands, blocking the swipes and slashed of the creature's claws as it advanced.

Suddenly, the creature flared its wings once more, throwing Robin off balance as he blocked, a particular slash making its way through his defenses, cutting through is already bleeding shoulder. The boy cried out as pain exploded in his arm. The chimera took the opportunity to knock Robin off of his feet, digging its claws into his side as it leaned over him.

Robin winced as the hot claws dug into his flesh, kicking out with his back legs, knocking the creature off him. He scrambled onto his feet, wincing at the pain from his side and shoulder, he didn't even notice the chimera rearing back once more until it was too late and the blast was mere inches from him. The fireball rammed right into his chest, sending him crashing backwards into one of the already demolished building.

Robin cracked open his eyes as he struggled to move, glass and fragments of metal pierced his skin as he struggled to sit up, blood now trickling down the side of his body. He tried to prop himself up onto his elbows, only to fall back down to the ground at the strain. The chimera growled as it slowly advanced towards him, wings low to the ground as it scratched at the ground in anticipation.

Robin shifted his hands and tried to reach his belt, hoping to at least find a few explosives left to defend himself with. Only he knew there wouldn't be enough time as the chimera snarled once more, the dragon head rearing back one final time as it opened its mouth, ready to fire another blast of flame at the boy.

Robin closed his eyes as he prepared himself for the intense heat, only to gasp as a black figure leapt down and scooped him up. The man dragged a long black cape out from behind him and covered himself as well as the teen in his arms as the blast hit. Robin's eyes widened as the flames harmlessly passes around them, the flame-proof cape keeping them from harm, a cape Robin knew only one other man owned.

Gently placing the boy back on the ground, Batman leapt towards the chimera, sliding under the creatures claws as he placed a handful of explosives under the creature's body. Leaping over the creatures head, he grabbed Robin once more right as the blast hit, shielding the boy from the large wave of heat as the creature was destroyed.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Batman turned back to his former-apprentice. Silence engulfed the pair as Batman wordlessly reached into his belt, puling out a small roll of gauze as he began to wrap Robin shoulder into a makeshift cast. Once he was finished, he lifted his gaze to look at the boy. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly. Robin gazed at him for a short moment, then nodded.

Batman nodded as well in understanding and stood up, slowly helping the boy to his feet. A large explosion could be seen from the sky, catching the attention of both mentor and apprentice. Suddenly, a loud growling filled the air as a large group of lions stepped out from behind cars and buildings, slowly approached. "Whatever your friend is doing, he better do it fast." Batman growled as he reached into his belt and pulled out two batarangs as he stepped in front of Robin, watching the lions with narrowed eyes as he waited for their first move.

Robin glanced back up to the sky. "Come on, Danny." He whispered to himself. "Bring him down."

* * *

Danny groaned as he pushed himself out of the crater he had made in the ground. Injured was not enough to describe the condition he was in right now. His ankle was on fire, the skin around it burned and charred, along with his arm and left side of his torso, and he was pretty sure he had a few cracked ribs. His uniform was torn and bloodied from the various cuts around his body, not to mention he probably had a major concussion, considering his head was still bleeding.

Flying back up into the air, Danny faced off against the man once more, who ran his fingers over the blade of his sword once more. Danny couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard whispering. But out wasn't coming from Slade. No...it was coming from the _gem_. Was it communicating with the man? Danny narrowed his eyes as he tried to remain focused. He had to get that gem away from him.

Flying forward, Danny dove under the man, firing an icy blast at him. Slade smirked and sliced his blade through the air, deflecting the blast completely. Narrowing his eyes, the man shot forward, slashing and flinging his blade towards the boy, who dodged and deflected the sword with small shields and blasts of his own.

Suddenly, Slade kicked out, his foot connecting with Danny's burned ankle. The boy faltered as he cried out in pain, Slade seeing his chance as he thrust his sword forward, the fiery blade piercing Danny shoulder. His eyes widened as he screamed in pain, blindly firing his ecto-blasts, one hitting Slade in the chest, driving him back as he retracted his sword.

Danny gasped in pain as he placed a hand to his bleeding shoulder, the skin around the wound now blackened and burned. He groaned as he glared back at Slade, who smirked slightly as the sword in his hand disappeared. Raising both hands, fire sparking a the palms, Slade fired a continuous orange and red stream of fire from his hands straight towards Danny.

His eyes widened as he raised his hands as well, firing his own ice blasts to counter Slade's attack. The two streams met head-on as they began to push against each other for dominance. Danny groaned as his arms began to shake at the strain, while Slade looked like he was barely breaking a sweat. Suddenly, the blue blasts began to be overpowered as the fire began to gain more ground until they shot forward, engulfing Danny in continuous heat.

The boy screamed in pain as his body was lit in fire, the force of the impact sending him flying towards the ground. A loud boom could be heard as Danny hit the pavement hard. He groaned as his body protested at him to stay down, while his mind screamed at him to get up, to continue fighting. Black dots swam at the corners of his eyes as he slowly crawled out of the crater and gazed back up at Slade, who smirked behind his mask as he flew higher into the air.

Danny groaned as he raised a hand to hover over his chest, then flew up into the air as well. Slade extended his arm to motion over the scene below them. Danny turned and gasped at what he saw. The others were know being driven back by the large mass of creatures. They all looked burned and beaten as they slowly backed up as the creatures continued to advance towards them. Slade flew down and hovered over his army, Danny doing the same with his friends. "You're doomed, Daniel, and so are your friends." He growled at the boy as the fiery army continued to advance.

Danny narrowed his eyes, realizing there was one attack that might save them, but it would be costly. Glaring back up at Slade, Danny felt the energy building up in his center. "They're not my friends." He said softly. "They're my FAMILY!" He snarled. "And I'm not going to let you hurt them! NEVER AGAIN!" He screamed as he took a deep breath and released his Ghostly Wail.

The group behind him placed their hands over their ears and knelt down to the ground as they tried not to be blown back by the powerful attack. They opened their eyes and watched in amazement as the wail blew the creatures backwards, driving some back while completely destroying others. Even Slade was driven backwards as the attack powered through, blowing him into one of the buildings, the structure crumbling down on top of him.

Finally, the attack began to die down. The creatures that had before filled the streets with their numbers only had a few handfuls left, the others now nothing but black ashes that littered the roads. Danny gasped for air as the attack ceased, struggling to remain conscious at the great expanse of energy, barely able to keep himself in the air.

All of a sudden, a loud rumbling filled the air, the others below Danny turning towards the noise. Slade broke through the large pile of rubble, fury evident in his eyes as he surged forward, silver sword appearing in his hand as he shot towards Danny. The dazed boy didn't even hear the cries of warning from his friends and family before he opened his eyes, Slade mere inches away from him.

Danny's eyes widened as he felt a sharp jab in his chest. Glancing down, he saw the hilt of the sword protruding from his chest, Slade's hands firmly grasping the weapon.

Robin's eyes widened and his breathing hitched at the scene above him. "Danny..." Was all he could whisper as his body started to shake.

Slade narrowed his eyes as he kept his hands on the sword's handle as he glared at the boy in front of him. Danny's body started to shake as he started to cough, blood now beginning to trickle out of the corner of his mouth as breathing became harder and harder for him. Suddenly, he heard whispering once more. His eyes widened as he stared at the gem, becoming lost in the black depths.

He shook his head as he cleared himself of the clouding thoughts the gem was trying to distract him with. He knew now might be the only time he'd be this close to the gem. Now was his only chance. Reaching out, he placed a hand on the gem, Slade's eyes widening at the quick movement. "What are you doing?!" The man shouted as Danny's hands closed around the gem and he began to pry the gem away bit by bit. The cracks around Slade's eyes began to spread farther throughout his mask as Danny continued.

A blinding white light began to pulse from the center of the gem as Danny gripped it, the cracks in Slade's mask now glowing a bright red. Danny narrowed his eyes and glared back up at Slade one last time. "I think you two should spend some time apart." He snarled as he ripped the gem away.

"NOOO!" Slade screamed as they were both engulfed in a blinding white light that expanded over the others as well as the rest of the city.

Blinking open his eyes, Robin glanced at his surroundings. The remaining monsters were now gone, as well as the ashes from the others. The fires that had been burning around the city were now out, and the damage from them was now gone. The Titans glanced around, then back at the others. "So...is it over?" Beastboy asked. "Were we victorious?" Starfire questioned the others.

Before anyone else could answer, a ball of green light flew past over their heads, crashing down hard into the pavement a few paces away, a resounding boom echoing through the city. They glanced at each other for a moment, then hurried over to the crater as fast as they could. Inside the crater, a bloodied and burned Danny lay motionless, the black gem still tightly gripped in his hand. Burns ran up and down his body, his shoulder and chest leaking blood onto the pavement, the crimson liquid trickling out of the corner of his mouth and down his head as well.

"Danny!" The Titans yelled as they jumped forward, sliding down the sides of the crater to the bottom, Jack, Maddie, Valerie and Dani doing the same, the others staying at the top as they watched the others crowd around the boy. "Danny, Danny! Can you hear me?!" Robin shouted as he tried to get the boy to open his eyes. "But...where's Slade?" Cyborg asked.

Raven glanced around until her eyes fell upon the glistening gem in Danny's hand. "Exactly where every other wielder is. Inside the gem."

Suddenly, Danny's body shuddered as his eyes flickered open. "Danny?" Robin called, the boy's eyes drifting over to him. Maddie placed a hand on the boy's uninjured shoulder, tears steaming down her face. Sam and Jazz crouched down next to her as they tried to wipe away the tears that rested on their cheeks.

"Do...does anyone else...have a m...major he...headache...or is it...j...just me?" Danny whispered hoarsely to the group. Robin smiled slightly and shook his head. Leave it to Danny to place a smile on his face, even in a state as bad as his. "Just you, buddy." Robin sighed. "Just you."

Danny groaned and rested his head back onto the pavement, his eyes beginning to droop. Robin felt his body tense as he snapped his fingers in front of the boy's face, his eyes opening slightly. "Hey! I need you to focus on me, okay? I don't need you dying on me, ya' big dork." He said firmly, even though his heart was pounding a million miles a minute.

Danny sighed. "Alright...you jerk." He whispered.

Beastboy turned to Raven, his eyes frantic. "You can heal him, right Raven? You...you can save him?" Raven lowered her gaze. "No...nothing this serious." She whispered, tugging her hood farther over her eyes as her grief overwhelmed her, a mailbox farther down the street becoming engulfed in her magic as it exploded, mail and papers flying everywhere, but nobody seemed to notice.

Tucker leaned forward. "Hey, Danny...we're all here, okay?" He called to his friend, whose gaze seemed to become more and more distant. Sam scooted closer. "Yeah..besides, I still have...have to kick your butt at Doom, remember." She asked, her voice faltering as she gazed at her friend. Danny smiled slightly at the girl's voice.

A sob escaped Jazz's lips as she buried her head into her father's shoulder, the man placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. Danny's body tensed as another spasm of pain coursed through him, tightening his grip on Robin's hand, but the boy didn't seem to mind. Danny turned his head to glance back up at Robin. "Hey, Rob? Wh...who's turn is...is it on the sparring machine?" He asked.

Robin felt his eyes start to water slightly, the boy roughly wiping them away. "It...it's yours, D." He said with a small smile. Danny mirrored the smile as he closed his eyes. "Totally gonna...kick your butt..." He said, with a small smile. Robin shook his head as he continued to mirror the small smile. "Don't count on it." He replied. Danny weakly glared at him. "Jerk..." He sighed, his voice trailing off as his head lolled off to the side and his tightened grip on Robin's hand suddenly disappeared.

"Danny?" Robin called. "D...Danny...?" He whispered, his voice faltering as he lowered his gaze and raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose as a tear trickled down the side of his face, the boy not even trying to fight it off.

"Is...is he..?" Flash stuttered as he gazed back at his teammates. Wonder Woman placed a hand on the man's shoulder, lowering her gaze. Flash tightly shut his eyes and dropped his head, a sigh escaping his lips.

Cyborg placed a hand to the human side of his face as Starfire cried into his shoulder, Beastboy sitting on the ground next to him, eyes staring off blankly into the dirt. Raven's hood shielded her eyes, but it didn't shield her now wet, glistening cheeks. Somewhere around them, several car alarms went off as they were all thrown into the air by black forces. Sam buried her head into Tucker's shoulder, the boy hugging her tightly as he ducked his head from view. Jazz continued to sob into her father's shoulder, now being joined by Maddie, her husband gently rubbing her back as tears streamed down his face as well. Dani's lip trembled as she tightly hugged Valerie, the girl burying her face into the ghost girl's shoulder.

Robin vaguely felt a hand placed gently on his shoulder as Batman approached, the man gently comforting his young ward. All tension between the two faded away, the fight now long forgotten.

Suddenly, a dull flashing caught Robin's eyes as he glanced up. He gasped and quickly stood up, the others glancing at him in confusion as they followed his gaze. The gem in Danny's hand continued to flash dully, becoming more and more vibrant with every flash until it glowed a constant white light. "Move!" Robin shouted as they quickly raced out of the crater right as as pillar of white light shot into the air.

Raising their hands to block the intense light, the group gazed into the beam of light that continued to shoot high into the air. A small black shape could be seen as it was raised up into the air, a tiny black orb floating up above it as it began to spin. "What's happening!" Cyborg yelled as the dirt around them began to swirl and blow in different directions. Nobody seemed to have an answer as the body began to glow with a harsh white light.

The others groaned and ducked away as a flash of light exploded over the area, slowly dying away as the figure was slowly brought back down to the ground, the pillar of light shrinking thinner and thinner until it faded away, revealing the gem as it slowly lowered itself back down to the ground. The group glanced at each other for a moment, then raced back to the crater, the Titans leaping back in.

Robin rushed forward, sliding on his knees towards Danny's still form. He reached out, hesitating for a moment, fearful of the answer, then gently placed his fingers onto the side of Danny's neck. The others held their breath as they waited for his answer.

A small gasp and laugh escaped from Robin's lips as he gazed at his brother for a moment. "Y..you got to be kidding me!" He shouted as he turned back to the others. "He's ALIVE!" He yelled, a smile crossing his lips.

"WHAT?!" They all shrieked as they rushed forward.

"I...I don't understand." Maddie stuttered as she gazed around at the others for an explanation. Suddenly, Raven's eyes widened and she pulled her hood back. "I...I understand." She whispered. The others glanced at her for an explanation. "My book, it said the gem had the ability to cheat death. To bring the user back to life, right?"

The others nodded, remembering when they had figured out everything the gem could do. Raven continued. "Well after Danny ripped the gem away from Slade and placed it in his own hands, he _became_ the new wielder." She explained. "And when he died, the gem's powers kicked in. The gem reversed it. It cheated death."

Robin blinked in shock and turned back to Danny. Shaking his head, he automatically reverted back into Leader Mode, or at least, that's what Danny always called it. "Come on. The gem might have brought him back once, but he'll die again from blood loss if we don't get him help, and I'm pretty sure that was a one-time deal." He said, glancing at the gem as it lay still on the ground.

The others quickly snapped back into focus. Jack and Maddie rushed off to fetch the Fenton RV, Raven using her magic to gently lift Danny out of the crater and into the back of the RV. Cyborg and the rest of the Titans piled into the T-car, the Titans East agreed to meet back at the tower while the Leaguers went to go check on the rest of the ghosts and escort them back to the ghost zone, A.K.A. make sure they didn't try any funny-business.

Robin rode in the back of the RV as it barreled down the road. He tapped his foot nervously on the ground as he stared off into the corner of the vehicle, occasionally stealing a glance at Danny. He shook his head as he gazed at the ceiling. Only his brother would be able to find a way to cheat death. A small smile made its way onto his lips.

"Dork."

* * *

 **Man! That was a long chapter!**

 **SOOOOOO much fighting over these past three chapters, I don't think I can even look at the words _punch_ and kick for at LEAST a month! Anyway, I'm pretty happy with this chapter. Poor Danny! ****Don't worry, the next chapter will probably wrap up any more questions.**

 **Anyway, find out what happens next on...The Ghostly Titans**


	38. Chapter 38: Aftermath

**Chapter 38: Aftermath**

* * *

 **Titans Tower**

 _ **One week later**_

Beads of sweat dripped down his head as the boy tossed and turned in the bed, the covers crumpling under his tightened grip on them. His eyes shut tight, his body shaking violently as he slept, continuing to battle his dreams.

The man in the corner of the medical bay sat quietly, a watchful eye carefully monitoring the two boys who occupied the medical bay. One who seemed to fight his own thoughts as he continued to twist and turn in the white covers of the bed. The other was deathly still other than the occasional rise and fall of his chest.

Both boys looked like they had seen better days. The more troubled of the two had his left arm bandaged from his shoulder down to his elbow, as well as the side of his torso and ankle. The still, silent boy had his chest securely wrapped under his shirt, a bandaged arm and a leg as well as the side of his head only a few of his injuries.

Rain beat steadily against the large glass windows that overlooked the city. The man sighed and decided to stare out at the black ocean waves, the sight seeming to calm his nerves, not that you could ever tell he was worried.

Suddenly, the troubled boy jolted upwards, gasping for breath as his eyes popped open behind his black and white domino mask. His breathing came out in startled bursts of air as he tried to regain his composure. Glancing down, he eyed the IV that was implanted in his arm, removing it with shaking hands.

He groaned and placed a hand to his mask, rubbing the bridge of his nose, a steady thumping resounding in the back of his head. He fidgeted with the corners of his mask, freezing as the man stood. He let out a small sigh of relief as the man revealed himself as he stepped out of the shadows that slung to the far corners of the room.

"Bruce." Robin breathed as the man walked closer. He quickly realized that the billionaire's black mask lay limply behind his head, blue eyes staring back at the boy. Robin tilted his head up at him in surprise. "It's alright. Door's locked." Bruce explained as he sat down at the foot of the bed. Robin sighed and once again reached for his mask, peeling it away to reveal his own set of blue crystals.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce asked.

Dick rolled his eyes. "I feel fine! I don't know why everyone _insisted_ I sleep here." He growled. Bruce raised a brow as he glanced at the boy's bandages. "Really...?" He asked as he gave the boy a look he had seen millions of times.

Dick sighed and let his head fall limply against the back of the headboard. "I...I guess they were right." He sighed as his eyes drifted over to the boy who lay in the bed next to him, quickly averting his gaze to stare out the window, an action not going unnoticed by Bruce.

"Quite a team you have here." The man said as he continued to stare out the windows as it continued to rain in slippery black drops that clung to the windows.

Dick let a smile creep onto his face. "Yeah, sometimes you forget it's a team and not an actual family. Sure sometimes we get on each others nerves, but...what family doesn't?" He asked.

Bruce nodded. "Even the newest members?" He questioned.

" _Especially_ our newest members. They make it seem even more like we all belong together. Like a real family." Dick lowered his gaze. "How is everyone?" He asked, gazing back at his old mentor. Bruce smiled slightly. "They're tired, but...everyone is. The Titans East had to go back to Steel City to check on the trouble over there, but said they'd be back to help with reconstruction." He explained.

"Strangely enough, after the battle was over, all of the ghosts disappeared. We couldn't find them anywhere so we assumed they went back to the Ghost World." Bruce explained.

"Zone. It's really more of a zone." Dick sighed, a small smile appearing on his face when Danny had corrected him for making the same mistake.

Bruce nodded and continued. "Most of the Leaguers are back at the Watchtower, making sure there's no trace of the creatures. Diana's still here, helping your teammates. Even though you guys sometimes forget, you're still kids, and let's face it, this battle was hard, even for us." Bruce said as he turned back to the locked door. "Most of your teammates are sleeping now, well...the one's that _can_ sleep."

Dick gazed back at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Bruce sighed. "Most of them are too worried to sleep for more than a few hours. Especially his family." He explained, turning to gaze at the silent boy who lay quietly in the other bed, the steady rhythm of the heart monitor the only other sound in the room.

Dick lowered his head, staring at the mask that lay in his hands. He gently ran his fingers over the stitching on the cloth. Bruce watched as the boy continued fidgeting with his mask, a questioning appearing in his mind. "Have you told anyone?" He asked.

Dick lifted his head to look back at the man. "What?" He asked.

Bruce gazed back at the mask, Dick following his gaze. "Have you told anyone?" He repeated again.

Dick sighed and placed the mask on the bed. "Just one." He turned back to the boy who lay silently on the other side of the room. Bruce nodded. "No one else?" He asked with a small hint of surprise at the edge of his voice. Dick shook his head. "Just Danny."

Bruce nodded, respecting the boy's silence on the subject. Dick raised his head. "H...how is he?" He asked, sadness swelling in his chest as he gazed at his brother. Bruce sighed. "He's stable, but he still hasn't shown any signs of waking soon."

Dick nodded, averting his gaze once more.

"You were asleep for a while. A couple days actually." Bruce said, turning back to the window. Dick's head shot up. "Really?" He asked in shock. Bruce nodded his head. "You're friends were right to bring you in here, though. Your injuries were pretty bad." He explained.

Dick nodded absentmindedly, the low rumbling of thunder heard from outside as the rain continued to beat down on the window, stirring the waves below them. Bruce furrowed his brow at the boy's quiet demeanor, knowing he normally would have at least asked about the progress on the city. "There's something else, isn't there?" He asked.

Dick shook his head, a nervous smile spreading across his lips as he rubbed the back o his neck. "What are you talking about, Bruce. I'm fine." He said, hoping the man would buy it. Bruce cocked a brow. "Dick..." He said in a knowing voice.

The boy sighed, realizing it probably wasn't wise to hide something from the World's Greatest Detective. "I'm just worried, I guess." He said after a while. "Worried about the city, about the rest of the team,...about him."

Bruce nodded in understanding. He sighed as he scooted farther onto the bed, his back perched flat on the headboard next to Dick. "You know, when I first started training you, I had the same fears. I mean, what if you got hurt, or were kidnapped, or worse." He sighed, Dick tilting his head as the man continued.

"But then I realized you had to be the toughest kid in all of Gotham. Not many could say they fought alongside 'The Batman.'" Bruce explained.

"Now...as I was training you, I never expected ghosts and evil talismans, so...you were kind of on your own there." He chuckled, Dick doing the same besides him. "But seeing how you've been able to lead a whole team, understand a group of teens _nobody_ else could, and make this group of misfits into an amazing family, well...no training of mine did that. It was all you." Bruce stated.

"Now, it's common for a leader to worry about everything. After all, it's kind of your job to. But it's also common for leaders to work themselves to the bone, and it's always been something even I've had trouble fixing." Bruce continued. "So...the city. Well, the people are starting to finally return and reconstruction will begin shortly, so you don't have much to worry about there. The team. They're tired, but a little rest should pop them back to normal. And...the boy." He paused and turned his head to gaze at the still figure in the other bed. "He...just needs some time to rest up. It was a hard fight for him."

Dick lowered his head at the last few words. "What if he doesn't, Bruce? What if he doesn't get better?" He whispered quietly, almost too quietly for the man to hear. But he did. Every pain-filled word. "I mean, what if he isn't strong enough? What if I lose him too?!" He shouted, suddenly angry. Bruce sat silently as he waited for the boy to finish letting his frustration out.

Dick took a shuddering breath and raised a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose with a shaking hand. Bruce placed a hand on the boy's arm as he pulled him closer. "Listen, Dick. If Danny is _anything_ like the kid I've seen in the past few weeks, then you don't have anything to worry about. He's strong. Strong enough to save us from those creatures. Strong enough to take out Slade. And he's strong enough to pull through now." He said reassuringly to the shaking boy, gently running his fingers through his hair, an action he had used so many times to calm a younger Dick.

The two heroes sat quietly on the bed, the pounding of the rain and crashing of thunder thankfully drowning out the constant sound of the heart monitor. Dick furrowed his brow and pinched the fabrics of the bed with his finger. Bruce tilted his head as he noticed the boy's fingers. He sighed, waiting for the question that always followed the habit.

"Um...listen. About that fight...the one...the one we had before I moved here...to Jump...I...I'm.." Dick stuttered quietly. Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder, the boy looking up in surprise.

"Yeah. Me too." Bruce finished, their minds flashing back to the heated argument that had arisen for the millionth time. The one that led to Dick's departure. The one that sent him down his path. The one Bruce couldn't be happier they had.

Sure he had missed the kid. He had been his first _real_ ward. But seeing how the boy had made it on his own, able to form and lead a functional team and even save the world couple times. It filled him with pride that his boy had come so far, even if they had had to exchange a few biting remarks to get there.

Another flash of lightning streaked across the sky, the deep rumbling of thunder following close behind. Dick closed his eyes and rested his head backwards on the headboard behind him. Bruce continued to gently stroke the boy's shoulder, closing his eyes as well as the two heroes peacefully listened to the rain and thunder, all barriers that had been placed between them throughout the years quietly vanishing once more.

* * *

The flash of lightning instantly illuminated the room and all its inhabitants as the storm continued. Sam sighed and placed her forehead against the cool glass as she sat by the window, silently watching the waves as they crashed below them as she became lost in her thoughts.

The girl jumped slightly as a hand was placed on her shoulder. Whipping her head around, amethyst eyes mirrored one another as the two girls stared at each other. "How are you doing?" Raven asked as she took a seat next to the goth. Sam glared back at the girl. "In case you haven't noticed, the city is falling apart, our team had become char grilled, and my best friend had to be brought back from the dead! How do you think I'm doing?!" She snarled in anger.

Raven knew her friend was only lashing out to cope with her pain, but she couldn't say it didn't hurt to have one of her best friends snap at her like that. Sam noticed Raven visibly wince and sighed. "Sorry. I'm just..." She fumbled, trying to find the right words to explain everything.

Raven nodded. "I understand. Can't say it's been easy for any of us." She sighed as the girl's gaze traveled over the others that remained in the room.

Beastboy lay on the floor in canine form, blankly staring at the ground in front of him as his chin rested in between his paws. His torso and front paws were bandaged, as well as a few scorch masks here and there.

Valerie sat besides the dog on the floor, her back pressed up against the couch. Dani's head lay across the girl's lap as the halfa slept. Valerie placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and leaned her head backwards as it rested on top of the couch cushions.

Starfire lay sideways on the other side of the couch above Beastboy as she sadly stared out the window, one arm under her head, the other hanging limply off the side of the couch as it gently stroked the green dog's back. She knew she should go rest in her room, but she realized she probably didn't have the energy to walk there, and she certainly couldn't fly in her state of mind, especially since her stomach still churned in fear for Robin and Danny. She sighed, her normally bright hair now dull as a few strands hung down over her eyes as she gazed at the bandages on her wrist and ankle.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt something warm drape over her shoulders. Turning her head, she saw Wonder Woman finish placing the blanket on the girl, a small smile on her face. "You children should go back to your rooms and continue to rest." She said quietly.

Starfire gave her a small smile, nothing compared to her normal ones that were so filled with joy and excitement. "It is alright. I shall continue to wait here."

The woman hesitated, then nodded and left the room once more, intent on speaking with Bruce. Starfire lowered her gaze and rested her head back down onto the couch, gently closing her eyes as she pulled the blanket closer.

Sam sighed, lifting her gaze once more as the doors to the Ops Center slid open. "Central command is back online." Cyborg monotoned, a tone of voice that was seriously uncommon for the robot as he walked over to the tables and took a seat. Tucker trudged in after him. "Controls for the tower were knocked out of placement during the tremors." He explained quietly to the group.

Eyes landing on Sam, Tucker walked over, popping a seat on the windowpane next to her.

"Have you seen Jazz?" The girl asked, Raven lifting her gaze as well, curious to his answer. Tucker sighed. "She's still in her room. Hopefully sleeping." He added. "She's barely gotten any rest this week." He explained. Raven snorted. "Have any of us?" She asked.

Sam and Tucker exchanged looks before lowering their gazes back to the floor right as another crack of lightning streaked across the sky, shortly followed by a crash of thunder. Sam didn't even bother lifting her head once more as the doors slid open once more and the voices of Jack and Maddie reached her ears. "The portal's stable. No side effects from the coming and going of the ghosts." Maddie explained, her voice sounding hollow and tired, mirroring what everyone else was feeling.

Wonder Woman reentered the room once more. "I'm afraid I must be headed back to the Watchtower. Are you sure you do not require anything else?" She asked the group. Maddie raised her head and smiled at the woman. "It's alright. You've already done enough."

The Amazonian nodded as she bid farewell to the rest of the group and flew out of the room. Maddie sighed and walked back over to the tables where Cyborg and her husband sat quietly. "I should head back to the Watchtower as well." A deep voice said from the doorway, one everyone could make out as Batman's without even having to look up. "Yeah, you probably should. We can handle things here." Said another familiar voice, one that made them perk up.

"Robin!" Starfire cried in joy as she leapt from the couch and flew over to the fully-masked boy with open arms, freezing right before she could inflict any damage with her strength. Robin smiled from the doorway, leaning on the side of the wall for support, Batman keeping a guarded eye on the boy to make sure he didn't fall.

Beastboy felt his tail wagging as he ran over, Cyborg quickly getting up from his seat at the table. Raven floated up into the air and joined her teammates as Sam and Tucker walked over together. "Dude, you're up!" Beastboy exclaimed happily as he reverted back into his human form.

Cyborg placed a hand on the boy's uninjured shoulder. "Good to see ya' finally out of that room." He smirked.

Raven lowered her hood. "How long have you been awake?" She asked.

Robin shrugged his shoulder. "About an hour." He quickly scanned his teammates. "How are you guys?" He asked, a hint of concern evident in his voice.

Sam shrugged. "As good as we can be, I guess." She sighed.

Robin nodded. "I assumed so." He glanced back over to Cyborg. "How are the plans for reconstruction of the city? I know the civilians are finally starting to come back so it should start soon, right? He asked the robot, who nodded.

"Yeah. The mayor said it would start in a couple days." A small smirk formed on Cyborg's lips. "Not that they weren't grateful the city wasn't burnt into a crisp, but it was one heck of a _'talk'_ when they saw the conditions of the city." He said, quoting the word _talk_ as he rolled his eyes.

Robin nodded in understanding. He glanced over to his side to see Starfire bouncing around in excitement as she tried to contain herself. Finally, she lost her internal struggle and flew forward, grabbing Robin's good arm. "Come, Robin! You must relax!" She said as she led the confused boy over to the couch.

Batman watched from the doorway, a small smirk on his face as he watched his son be crowded by his friends. He watched as the boy glanced behind him and made eye contact with his mentor, who nodded a goodbye. Robin smiled and did the same as he turned back to his friends.

Batman lingered for a moment, the swiftly turned and walked farther down the hallway, quickly melting into the shadows that clung to the walls.

* * *

 _ **2 days later**_

Dick sighed as he continued to absentmindedly flip through the pages in the book. His eyes scanned over the words quickly until they began to blur together. He groaned and slammed the book closed as he rested his head on the back of the chair.

He rubbed his eyes and turned his head to stare out the widow next to him. The storms had passed, but they left behind a dark grey overcast that shrouded the city in bleak darkness turned cold from the winds.

Glancing down to the book in his hands, Dick sighed and placed it on the ground. For some reason, the thought of reading another page made him feel sick. Not that it was too much of a surprise to him, considering he hadn't picked up a book since he had moved to Jump. He had always loved reading, but it was a pastime he had long forgotten to enjoy.

He glanced down at the mask in his hands, then up at the locked door across the room. He smiled slightly as he rubbed the corners of his mask. He had forgotten what it was like to be Dick for so long. For the past few years, he had always been Robin, but now...

He turned his gaze to the still boy as he lay silently in the bed. Dick sighed. _I guess that's why I chose Danny._ He thought to himself. _I wanted to stop pretending for a moment. I wanted to be me._ He realized.

"You know, Danny. Anytime you want to get your lazy butt out of bed would be great." He said quietly. "No? Okay, great. Thanks." He sighed when he received no response, not that he thought he would get one, but still.

Suddenly, a soft knock came from the door, pulling Dick from his thoughts. Quickly placing his mask back on, Robin walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Starfire. The girl smiled softly at him, a hint of concern noticeable in her eyes. "Robin. Are you alright? You have been...distant these past few days." She said. _More_ _than usual._ She sighed mentally.

Robin smiled back. "Yeah, Star. I'm okay, just a little tired." He lied.

Starfire perked up at that. 'Oh, well maybe we can help rid you of these tired feelings!" She beamed, hopeful for a chance of getting him out of the room. Her hope deflated as Robin continued.

"Sorry, Star. But I'd really rather stay in here." He smiled nervously. "I...I've got a really good book in there and I'd like to finish it up." He said as he stepped back into the room and closed the door before the girl could respond.

Both teens sighed as they leaned against the door.

Starfire lowered her gaze and slowly trudged down the hallway.

Robin sighed and locked the door once more, ripping his mask away in the process, throwing it down next to the book. Dick closed his eyes as he rested his forehead on the closed door as he tried to manage the headache that was now starting to take form.

"A really good book, huh? Look, I know I'm pretty awesome, but you don't have to make up excuses to hang out with me, Dick." Said a hoarse voice from the other side of the room, sarcasm dripping off every word.

Dick's eyes widened as he spun around so fast, Danny was sure he got whiplash. "Danny!" The boy shouted in shock.

" That is my name, at least I think it is...How hard was I hit in the head?" The boy asked with a small smile.

Dick smirked and walked over, taking a seat on the bed next to him. "Pretty hard, you dork. That's why we _dodge."_ He said with emphasis on the last word as if he were speaking to a five year old. Danny rolled his eyes and tried to sit up, only to gasp in pain. Dick furrowed his brow and placed a hand on the boy's unbandaged shoulder. "Take it easy, D. You were banged up pretty bad." He said with a hint of concern as Danny rested his head back down on the pillow.

"How do you feel?" Dick asked, his gaze travelling over the many bandages that wrapped around his brother's body.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Like I was stabbed by a crazy psychopath. So...pretty good." He smirked.

Dick lowered his gaze as he turned away slightly. Danny tilted his head. "Hey, Dick. You good?" He asked, watching as the boy nodded his head with a small smile. Danny narrowed his eyes and nudged the boy in the shoulder. "Don't you lie to me, ya jerk." He smirked. "What's wrong?"

Dick sighed. "Guess you always could pick up on that, huh?" He asked with a small smirk. He furrowed his brow and paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Danny." He finally blurted out. "Slade's been my enemy for a while and I brought you, your friends and your family into this."

Danny felt his face scrunch in confusion. "Dick, this wasn-" He started, only to have Dick sharply cut him off. "Danny! They could have been hurt! You could have been killed. Actually...scratch that. you WERE KILLED!" He shouted as he closed his eyes in anger and frustration.

"You had to be brought back by that crazy gem because we couldn't save you. Because I couldn't save you! I...I-" He shouted, freezing as a pair of arms wrapped him in a hug. "Dude, would you stop being an idiot for a minute and listen to me?!" Danny shouted as he pulled away.

"Nothing could have stopped what happened, not even you." He said with a firm tone. "Besides, it was my decision to take on Slade. Well actually...it was his idea." He said as he began to trail off, chuckling for a moment. "Guess it didn't work out too well for him." He cleared his throat as he realized Dick was gazing at him in confusion.

"Anyway, this had to be the hardest battle I've ever fought. Not because it was hard to defeat Slade...well...it was, but that's not the point. The point is that is was hard because I had so much more to lose. Normally when I used to fight, I was fighting to protect my friends and family. But this time, I was fighting to protect an even bigger family. One I couldn't even begin to imagine loosing!" He stressed as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Dick stayed silent as he gazed back at the boy. "Dick, you may have been worrying about my throughout the battle. But just know i was worrying just as much about you. About everyone else." He sighed. He lifted his gaze to meet Dick's eyes once more, a small smile appearing on his face.

"But hey! I'm here, aren't I. I'm not dead anymore...well not more than usual." He chuckled, causing Dick to smile as well. Glancing down at the boy's bandages, Danny frowned. "See? I told you about your injuries. They were worse than you thought." He said, crossing his arms, wincing slightly at the movement. Dick narrowed his eyes and sneered. "Yeah, like you're one to talk." He said, rolling his eyes. "At least I don't need crutches."

Danny gave him a shocked look. "What are you talking about? I can totally walk!" He shouted back. Dick raised a brow at the boy's statement. "Really...? Want to prove that?" He asked, gesturing to the floor. Danny bit his lower lip as he gazed at the cold floor. He sighed as he glared back at Dick. "Fine, whatever." He groaned.

Dick laughed. "Can't wait to see you hobbling around like a newborn baby deer!"

Danny narrowed his eyes and growled in anger. "Keep talking and you can have a matching set of crutches!" He snarled, causing Dick to laugh even harder, Danny's anger quickly melting away as he joined the laughter.

* * *

"He has once again declined to leave the room. He claimed he was reading the 'good book'" Starfire sighed, quoting the air around her as she entered the Ops Center once more.

Cyborg sighed in frustration. "You didn't actually believe him did you, Star?! He's just making up excuses to stay in that room!" The robot shouted in anger as he gazed around to the others in the room as they once again began to have the same argument they had been having for two days straight.

"Well what did you want her to do? Drag him out from the room?" Jazz snapped back, the girl having recently left her room to join the others.

"Well it's better than having him cooped up in that room for the rest of the month, maybe more! I mean, who knows how long it'll be until Danny wakes up!" Beastboy growled, instantly regretting bringing up Danny as many people in the room visibly flinched, especially Jack and Maddie, who sat quietly in the corner of the room, keeping quiet as the teens argued.

"You all have to admit Robin's been really distant lately." Cyborg stressed.

Sam sighed. "Well yeah. Who the heck hasn't?!" She shot back. "This hasn't exactly been the best week for us, for _any_ of us!"

The others continued to get louder as they argued, making Raven's anger flare. "Enough!" She growled. "Fighting over this isn't going to solve anything."

Cyborg grit his teeth. "Well if you're so tired of the fighting, then come up with a solution, Miss Sunshine!" He snarled in anger.

Raven narrowed her eyes as she took a calming breath and once again spoke in her usual monotone. "I already gave my answer to this problem. We leave Robin alone. He's dealing with this in his own way, so leave him alone and let him deal with it." She growled.

Tucker furrowed his brow. "Do you really think that's healthy, Raven? I mean, come ON! He's barely left that room all day!" He shouted back to the rest of the group.

"It's also not healthy to dwell on everything that's happened. But wait! That's exactly what we're doing!" Valerie shouted from the couch, Sam nodding in agreement.

The room exploded in different Titans giving their different opinions, each trying to drown out the other as they fought (or at least as loud as Raven can get). They continued to bicker until one single voice broke through them all. Everyone, even those who weren't arguing, froze as the soft snarky voice sliced through the air with the humorous tone they had all been missing.

"Is this a bad time? This is probably a bad time. You see Rob, I never know when to jump into these things." Danny said casually as he stood in the doorway, a pair of crutches under his arms, Robin smirking besides him.

Nobody moved as their brains tried to catch up to what was happening. Finally, they all started to slowly turn around to face the two smiling boys.

DANNY!" They cried simultaneously as they all rushed the doorway. Robin laughed as Danny was bombarded in hugs and frantic crowding.

"Dude, you're okay!" He shouted happily. He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously as he glanced down at the boy's crutches. "More or less." He grinned. Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm super." He sighed with a small smile.

Maddie leaned down and wrapped him in a hug, Jack and Jazz doing the same. His body ached from the embrace, but he didn't have it in his heart to tell his family to let go. "My baby boy!" Maddie smiled.

"Mom!" Danny whined, hoping Robin and the others hadn't heard. He really didn't need to give them any ammunition.

Pulling away, Starfire flew up. "Our turn!" She cried, wrapping the boy in a large hug, pulling the other Titans into it as well, including Valerie and Dani.

"Guys...can't...breathe!" He gasped out from the center of the pile. The others quickly retracted and mumbled apologies.

"Dude, one more scare like this and we're all going to have heart attacks!" Tucker gasped, clutching his heart for added effect. Danny rolled his eyes at his friends antics, lowering his gaze as Sam and Jazz walked forward. "Hi..." He said nervously, knowing the girls must have been worried the most. Sam grinned, punching the boy in his uninjured shoulder.

"Hey, easy on the punches! I don't have a lot of healthy body parts left." He whined, rubbing his arm.

"That was for scaring us." The goth replied.

Jazz rolled her eyes and kissed the boy on the forehead. "And that's for saving us, little brother." She said with a smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

'Maybe we should go sit down." Robin said as he noticed Danny beginning to sway on his feet. The others nodded in agreement and backed away as Robin and Jack led Danny over to the couch, the others following behind.

"So...what's the last thing you remember?" Valerie asked as they all became situated on and around the couch.

Danny furrowed his brow as he tried to piece together the scattered memories. "Umm...I remember removing the gem...light...fire...crashing to the ground...and dying, which by the way, I don't recommend." He sighed with a small smile. "Then...it's all fuzzy after that. Although, I thought I heard whispering." He said, scratching his head in confusion.

The others gazed around n confusion, unsure of what the whispering could have been. Danny suddenly perked up as a question popped into his mind. "Where is the gem anyway?" He asked the group before him.

"We placed it in the safe room we built for Raven a little while back. It should be safe there." He explained.

Danny nodded and sighed in relief. "Good, the last thing we need is some other crack-pot getting their hands on it." He groaned, imagining what they would have to do if it fell into the wrong hands once more.

Beastboy pouted as he crossed his arms. "Yeah, they wouldn't even let me play with it." He sighed, everyone giving him looks that clearly said ' _are you serious?'_

Danny shook his head with a small smile as Danielle flew forward. Thankfully, he didn't see too many injuries on her. "You're not gonna die again, are you?" She asked with a small smile, but everyone could tell she still held some fear in her eyes.

Danny smiled and patted the girl's shoulder. "I'm fine Dani. Not going anywhere." He smirked, nobody noticing the looks Jack and Maddie gave each other.

Raven flew closer as she noticed the boy wince whenever he would try and move. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

Danny sighed. "Well I have a headache like nobody's business, my leg is killing my, my chest is on fire, my shoulder feels like someone ripped it off and tried to put it back on again, and the rest of my body looks like I ran through a burning oven for an hour. So...pretty good." He said, rolling his eyes.

Robin smirked and placed an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Yet your smart mouth is still in tact." He sighed.

Danny gave him a toothy grin. "Please, as if anyone could stop that." He snorted, making a face at the Boy Wonder, who ruffled the boy's hair in response.

Cyborg jumped up from his spot on the couch. "Alright ya'll! The bad guys are toast. The city is saved, and we're all back together again! If this doesn't call for a party, then I don't know what does!" He beamed as Beastboy, Starfire, Tucker and Dani jumped up as well and ran to the kitchen to go get started.

Danny and Robin gave each other the same look before leaning back on the couch in fits of laughter, catching enough breath to get up and go join them, the rest of the team following.

Jack and Maddie watched as the large group of teens laughed as they prepared the food, Danny and Robin sitting at the counter, throwing in their advice every now and then. The adults actually had to duck away once the food fight started, although they could hear everyone laughing, including their son.

They turned back to each other, meeting eyes for a moment, before they both nodded in agreement. It was set, and _nothing_ would change their mind.

* * *

 **Dun, DUN, DUNNNN! What did the Fentons just agree to? Have they decided to let Danny stay, or are they gonna force him to come back to Amity?**  
 **Can you all decipher what they meant?**

 **Anyway, this chapter was longer than I originally thought it would be. Oh well. Happy accident.**

 **So...find out what happens next on The Ghostly Titan.**


	39. Chapter 39: Only The Beginning

**Chapter 39: Only The Beginning**

* * *

 _ **Four days later**_

"Why are they still making us sleep in here?" Danny asked as Robin helped him grab his crutches.

The Boy Wonder smirked. "Well I don't know why I'm still here, but all I have to do is hold your crutches out of reach and you're pretty much immobilized." He smiled, holding the crutches with his one hand as Danny glared at him. "Watch yourself, Grayson. Remember, blackmail is just an overshadowment, tutu and camera away." He growled with a smile.

Robin paled and threw the boy the crutches. Walking over, he helped Danny to his feet as the pair walked out of the medical room.

Reconstruction had started days ago, people coming in from all over to help the city get back onto its feet, including the Titans East and Justice League. Now, only after four days, the city was already beginning to appear normal once the least injured Titans joined the others in helping, while the more severely injured stayed at the tower and helped supervise throughout the city, helping to keep everything in order.

Entering the Ops Center, the two boys were met with bustling team members as they talked through communicators and TV screens. Beastboy sat on the couch, his cast-covered arm laying over his stomach while his other hand held the Titans communicator, where he was yelling at...someone angrily.

Starfire and Valerie sat by the Titans Computer, watching as Raven and Cyborg helped Superman clear rubble through the screen. The two headsets attached to the girls' heads buzzed with noise as they communicated with their comrades downtown.

Jazz sat across from them as she gazed at a portable screen in her hands, relaying instructions to Sam, Tucker and her parents as the group worked to repair one of the older buildings that had been destroyed. The ginger turned her gaze away from the screen as Robin and Danny entered the room.

Danny's chest still lay in bandages underneath his shirt, giving it a ruffled look. His ankle was thoroughly bandaged and set as he leaned on his crutches, as well as his left arm, which was wrapped up as well.

Robin had his left arm in a thick cast from his wrist to his elbow, the rest of the arm completely bandaged from the elbow all the way up and around his shoulder. He also had less severe burning on his leg and side.

Neither of the two looked to be in any condition to go help with the reconstruction, but that didn't stop them from whining about it to Jazz and the others.

"Please, friends. You are in no conditions to help with the reconstruction!" Starfire pleaded as she flew over.

Valerie nodded her head. "Yeah, you two kind of look like you got into an argument with a burning candle...a candle with boxing gloves...and lost...badly. No offense." She said, finishing off with a nervous smile.

Danny tilted his head. "Some taken..." He frowned.

Robin shook his head in frustration. "But we should be out there helping rebuild the city along with everyone else. We shouldn't just sit here and do nothing!" He said with a frown. Danny rolled his eyes and placed an arm around the boy's shoulder, pleased with himself for not falling as he took an arm off the crutches.

"Dude, do you really think we could do anything to help them? Really? I mean, you can barely raise that arm of yours, and I'm pretty much leaning on you just to stay upright." He sighed in exasperation.

Robin huffed angrily, his eyes widening as Danny frantically continued. "No really, Rob. I'm kind of leaning on you here. Falling! Falling!" He shouted, Robin smirking slightly as he helped steady his friend once more, Danny flashing a grateful look.

Jazz raised a brow. "Danny's right, Robin. You two are in no shape to be helping out over there." She said in a tone Danny recognized as her _'I'm your big sister, I know better so don't you dare try to argue with me'_ voice. He sighed. "Don't bother arguing Rob." He warned the boy, who gave him a confused glance.

Robin sighed. "You could have at least woken us up earlier." He grumbled. Jazz smirked. "As if. You two barely get any sleep at all. And if we have to put you two in comas to get you to sleep for a bit, then comas it is." She said, turning on her heel as she walked away, leaving two very shocked boys behind. "Besides, the city is already starting to look normal. I mean, there's tons and tons of people working there already, which is probably why the city is looking so good." She called over her shoulder.

"Well how long have they been working?" Danny asked as he hobbled over, cursing under his breath every few steps whenever he would stumble.

Beastboy shrugged his shoulders. "Couple hours. The first team should be getting back soon, though." He said, turning back to the communicator in his hand, eyes widening as he placed it to his ear. "Actually, they're coming back now." He said as he turned back to the group.

Right as the boy finished his statement, the door opened to reveal a tired group composed of Sam, Tucker, Cyborg, Raven, Aqualad, Bee, Dani, Speedy, Mas, Menos, Jack and Maddie. They wordlessly walked into the room, collapsing as soon as they were close to a couch, counter, chair or...floor.

"Friends! How was the joy of reconstruction?" She asked, spreading her arms, forgetting the large burn on her shoulder blade, which made the action excruciatingly painful. She quickly lowered her arms, a small whine escaping her lips.

Cyborg raised his head. "Super..." He sighed, lowering his head once more. Robin walked over to the group, Raven glancing over to him as he did. "I see you two are awake." She monotoned, even through breathlessness, which impressed and confused Robin at the same time.

The Boy Wonder shrugged. "Yeah, apparently, you guys all decided to have us oversleep." He said with narrowed eyes.

Cyborg rolled his eyes. "Please. If that's oversleeping to you, then Beastboy becomes comatose every morning." He chuckled as he slowly stood up, the others beginning to do the same. Robin rolled his eyes, Danny snickering besides him.

Bee took a seat on the counter, Dani joining her. "You know, your cousin's pretty tough, Danny." She said, scruffing up the girl's hair. "Have you ever considered becoming part of a team?" She asked the girl. Dani shook her head. "I mostly traveled the world for a while. But...guess I finished that. So...I'm pretty much free for the rest of my afterlife." She shrugged with a smirk.

"Well have you ever thought of becoming an East Titan?" Bee asked with a smile. Dani's eyes widened at the girl's question. "Umm...I..I don't know..." She said, rubbing the back of her neck, similar to her cousin. Mas and Menos rushed forward, flowers in hand as they spoke rapidly. "Por favor, permanezca, será muy divertido!" _(Please stay, it will be so fun!)_

Speedy and Aqualad walked over, each giving the girl a small smile of approval. "You'd be a great addition to the team." The Atlantian said with a smile. Dani turned to glance back at Danny, who was flashing her a big grin and a small nod. She smiled back and turned back to the Titans East. "Okay!" She shouted in excitement.

Mas and Menos quickly zoomed around her happily, Aqualad wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Alright, kid! Welcome to the team!" He said, Bumblebee handing her a blue and black communicator with a big black T in the middle.

Danny watched with a smile as his cousin was crowded by her new teammates. Finally, she was somewhere he knew she'd be safe. Now he didn't have to worry about her anymore. Robin walked over and took a seat next to the boy. "Guess she's taking after her cousin." He said, placing an arm around Danny. The boy chuckled. "Yeah, and it looks like she'll get that big sister she's always wanted." He said, watching as Bumblebee and Aqualad hoisted the girl onto their shoulders.

Jack and Maddie watched as Danny talked with Robin, the other Titans grouping together around them as they began discussing how the city would be finished. The Titans East walked out of the room to go tell their newest member about Steel City, leaving the two adults alone with the Titans and Valerie, the group seemingly oblivious to the two.

Jack and Maddie nodded to each other before Maddie stepped forward and cleared her throat, catching the attention of the teens. "Umm...listen kids. We've been here for a little while and now that the city is out of danger and starting to finish up on rebuilding, I think it's time we leave." She said.

Everyone instantly froze at her words, remembering last time the Fentons had tried to leave. Robin turned to give Danny a worried look, the boy giving him the same look as he turned back to gaze at his parents. "Umm...I-" He started, only to have his mother cut him off.

"Before you say anything, Danny. We want to explain what's going to happen." She said firmly. "Your father and I have been discussing this for a while and after a long debate, we've come to a decision on what to do, and _nothing_ will change our minds, so you might as well save your breath." She said.

Danny narrowed his eyes as he waited for his parent's response, ready to plead his case once more.

Maddie took a deep breath before facing the group once more. "Your father and I have decided to allow you to live here in Jump City." She finally said calmly. Before any of the shocked teens could respond, Jack continued. "Your mother, Valerie and I will return to Amity and keep watch on Ghost Activity."He explained.

Maddie walked forward once more. "We've realized just how much this place means to you, Danny. And we can't take you away from here. It's...your home." She said with a small smile.

Danny could barely believe it. "You...you really mean it?" He asked with large smile.

Maddie and Jack nodded their heads with smiles of their own. "Besides, we can always pop by whenever. Through the Ghost Zone, it should take a few minutes to get here." Jack beamed with a huge smile.

Danny laughed in surprise as he turned back to face the other Titans. He didn't notice Sam, Tucker and Jazz rubbing their arms and biting their tongues as they internally debated telling the others what they had secretly discussed with each other. Finally, Sam took a deep breath and stood, placing a hand on Danny's shoulder, the boy turning to her in surprise.

"Actually...I think...the three of us should go home too." She said, Tucker and Jazz walking over to stand besides her.

"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock.

Danny quickly stood up. "What are you guys talking about?" He asked with a confused look.

Sam sighed as she tried to remember the words she had been using in practice to explain the inevitable question Danny had been sure to ask. "Danny, these past few months have been the best of our lives. Even though most people wouldn't find running from the world enjoyable, it was one of the best things I've ever experienced." She sighed. "And joining the Titans was the coolest thing ever! But..." She trailed off, unsure of how to explain.

Tucker stepped forward. "But we're not heroes. At least, not real ones like you or the other Titans." He explained.

Cyborg stood up. "Of course you guys are! You've fought tons of villains while you were here! I think that qualifies as heroes." He exclaimed.

Jazz sighed. "But we only started that because we had to. Deep down...we're not heroes. We're just really good sidekicks." She smirked as she placed an arm around Danny. Sam and Tucker doing the same.

Danny lowered his gaze. "But...you guys can still stay here if you wanted to." He said, hoping they would take the offer.

Sam bit her lip. "We can't, Danny. Like it or not, we're still kids. Kids with no powers and no training whatsoever. Take away our weapons and we're pretty much useless." She sighed. "Besides, if I'm away from Amity any longer, my parents are sure to sent a SWAT team after me." She smirked, the smile falling at the look on Danny's face.

Tucker walked over and sighed. "Amity's our home, Danny. I don't think anything can really change that. But...but you belong here. Now you're finally in a place where people appreciate you and aren't afraid of you. And I mean, let's face it. You've connected with the Titans better than anyone else in Amity, other than us. You're finally...home." The techno-geek explained.

Sam smiled slightly as she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, it's not like you won't see us. Like your dad said, it only takes a few minutes through the portal to get back to Amity. You can drop by anytime, all of you can!" She explained, but that didn't seem to be enough for Starfire as the girl flew forward. "But I do not wish for you all to go! Who will I braid the hair with, or share the secrets?" Sh whimpered as she gave Jazz a puppy-dog look.

"And who's gonna help me gang up on Cyborg?" Beastboy whined as he turned into a kitten and jumped into Sam's arms.

"Or help me come up with crazier pieces of tech?" Cyborg sighed as he placed an arm around Tucker. The techno geek smirked. "Don't you worry. I'll be over here every chance I get. Besides, if you think I'll let you fend off against the tofu-terror over there by yourself, you're sadly mistaken." He smirked as the pair glared wickedly at Beastboy, who was still tucked into Sam's arms.

The goth placed the kitten back on the floor and walked over to Raven, who had stayed quiet throughout the conversation, keeping her hood tucked over her eyes. Sam reached out and lowered the garment from shielding the girl's eyes, seemingly the only person in the world who was allowed to do that. "Hey, now that I'm going back to Amity, I can show you to my favorite bookstore if you ever feel like visiting." She smiled. Raven hesitated for a moment, then returned the gesture.

The Titans all stood, Tucker rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Guess we should start...packing?" He asked.

Cyborg placed an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Come on! Who knows how much stuff we need to pack?" He smirked as the two of them walked out of th room towards Tucker's room. Sam and Raven did the same as they made their way to the goth's room, Starfire flying behind Jazz as she followed the girl as well, Valerie intent on packing as well. "Wait up, guys!" Beastboy called as he ran after them, Jack and Maddie following as they left the room as well.

Robin then found himself alone in the room with Danny, who leaned backwards on the couch, his gaze trailed on the floor. Robin placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You okay?" He asked. Danny sighed and grabbed his crutches, hobbling out of the room, softly throwing his reply over his shoulder.

"I'm fine."

* * *

 **The Next day**

Jack grunted with effort as he continued to press on the back of the RV, determined to shut the door. Finally, the door sealed, the man falling to the floor in surprise. "RV"S packed!" He called over his shoulder as the others came into view. Sam, Tucker and Jazz all carried bags over their shoulders as they walked over to the RV and placed their bags in their seats.

Valerie flew over on her hoverboard, landing silently on the ground next to the RV as she walked over to the others. Danny and the other Titans stood in front of the doors to the tower as they watched the Fentons load the vehicle in front of them.

Danny sighed as he lowered his gaze to stare out at the crashing ocean waves in the distance. Valerie, Sam, Tucker and Jazz mingled through the group, saying goodbye to the other Titans around them. Cyborg smirked. "You know...we don't have a Titans North set up yet." He said with a sly smile.

Tucker and the others smiled as they looked at their communicators. "Yeah, we can be your ghost division!" Tucker smirked.

Sam smiled. "Don't worry, we'll keep a firm handle on things back in Amity." She said staring back at Danny, who gave her a small smile. She glanced back to the others, who walked over. "You know...now that we know Danny Phantom _and_ are official Titans, the girls are gonna be swarming all over me." Tucker said as he nudged Danny's shoulder.

Danny smirked. "Yeah, just don't call me to come take pictures with them." He growled with a smile.

Tucker pouted. "Just once?" He pleaded, Danny rolling his eyes, Tucker stepping forward as the two boys fist bumped each other. "Whenever you want to get away from the tower, drop on by, got it dude?" The techno geek smirked, Danny smiling as he nodded.

Robin smiled and stepped forward, handing Valerie a yellow and black Titans communicator. The girl stared at the device in her hands, then back up at Robin. "Just consider yourself part of the...Titans North." He said, realizing the name had a nice ring to it. The girl nodded and turned back to Danny, who gave her a small smile. Valerie smirked and gave the boy a quick hug. "Just watch yourself, _Phantom,_ or I'll be forced to come back and kick your ecto-butt back into gear." She smirked, Danny laughing with her.

Jazz placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Just because we're leaving doesn't mean we won't check in every second we get." She said with narrowed eyes. "I need to make sure you don't fall into any trouble. I mean, what kind of sister would I be if I let my baby brother face off against things by himself?" She asked with wide eyes.

Danny smiled and wrapped the girl in a hug. "You'd still be a pretty great one." He sighed. Jazz pulled away and paced a kiss on the boy's forehead.

Danny shook his head, a smile on his lips as he turned to face Sam, the smile disappearing as the girl led him to the edge of the rocks, away from the others. Sam lowered her gaze. "You know, if this experience brought me closer to _anyone_ , it would be you. You know that, right?" She asked as she lifted her gaze.

Danny nodded and the girl continued. "And just because I'm leaving doesn't mean we'll stop being friends." She explained.

"Just friends?" Danny asked as he gazed into her amethyst eyes.

Sam's eyes widened as she lifted her gaze and bit her lip. "Danny...I...I-" She started, only for Danny to cut her off. "I know, Sam. I...I do too." He said with a small smile. The girl sighed and reached up onto her toes, placing a small kiss on the boy's cheek. As she turned away, Danny grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer, planting a kiss onto her lips.

Neither of them were aware of the smiles behind them. Cyborg nudged Robin's shoulder with a smirk. "Okay, he got his girl. Now it's your turn." He smiled. Robin's face flushed as his heart began to pound two times faster, especially when Starfire flew over and asked what Cyborg was talking about. Jazz sighed happily. That is until Tucker nudged her with his shoulder and cleared his throat, extending his hand in front of him. Jazz sighed grumpily and reached into her pocket, placing a $20 dollar bill into his hands.

The two teens pulled away and stared into each others eyes for a minute. "Now you _have_ to visit." Danny sighed with a smile.

"Try and keep me away." The goth smiled back. "Watch those weekends, Danny. We'll be here every chance we get. Besides, you still have to help us with Astronomy homework." She smirked, Danny rolling his eyes.

Tucker walked over and placed his arms across their shoulders. "Always knew you two love-birds would get together." He beamed.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Yeah well let's have the kids back at school try and call us lovebirds again and see what happens." She smirked. "I have a ghost boy and I'm not afraid to use him." She smiled as the group began to walk back towards the group of Titans, the nine of them engaging in a large group hug.

"You know, your rooms will always be ready for you guys." Robin said as they all pulled away.

Jazz smiled. "We would expect as much." She smirked as the four of them began to walk back to the RV. "And we'll keep our communicators on hand, just in case." She called over her shoulder.

Maddie and Jack exited the RV and walked over to Danny, the others peeling away to let them talk. "We're so proud of you, Danny-boy." Jack beamed, wrapping his son in a large hug, one that might be able to rival Star's. Maddie smiled. "Just think, our baby boy is a superhero." She smiled as she stroked his hair. Jack raised his head. "Hey, yeah! Now that people know who you are, Fenton Inventions will sell like hotcakes! You can even be our mascot, son!" He smiled.

Danny laughed nervously as he hugged his parents, the two of them standing as they walked back over to the RV. Robin and the others walked over to stand behind Danny as Cyborg tapped into the security and raised up the large tunnel that connected the tower to the mainland.

Valerie hopped onto her hoverboard as she floated above the ocean waters. Robin furrowed his brow. "Couldn't they just take the portal?" He whispered to Danny, who snickered and held up a finger to shush him. Robin rolled his eyes and softly elbowed the teen in the side, Danny countering by thwacking the boy in the head.

"The Titans North, huh?" Robin asked. "Where would their base even be?" He turned to Danny, who had a pretty good idea as an image of Fenton Works popped into his mind. "Oh...I can think of a few places." He sighed with a smile as the RV sped off, a small red blur flying above it.

"You gonna miss them?" Robin asked.

Danny nodded. "Of course. We've been friends since forever." The two boys turned back to the other Titans.

"Alright ya'll, who's up for some lunch?!" Cyborg beamed. Beastboy bounced on his feet. "Veggie pizza!" He smiled. Cyborg furrowed his brow and stared down at the changeling. "There is no way I'm letting you mess up pizza with your disgusting vegetables!" He growled. Beastboy narrowed his eyes. "And if you think i'll let you ruin it with that horrible thing you call meat, which I call murder, then you're stupider...stup...dumber than I thought!" The changeling growled.

That started the match as the two began to roll around on the ground, dust and rocks flying everywhere. Starfire stared at the fight for a minute before turning back to Raven. "Please, this is a _food fight,_ correct?" She asked, Raven proceeding to slam her palm into her forehead and drag it down her face.

Danny turned back to Robin with a smile. "But I think I'll be okay. After all, I have a pretty awesome family to keep me busy." He smirked, Robin placing an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Yep." Robin agreed. "This is only the beginning." He sighed as the two of them walked over to the brawl, the sun shinning on the water behind them, casting a warm orange glow on the glistening ocean, the shining city standing tall in the distance.

Danny smiled as his mind replayed Robin's last words.

 _Only_ _the beginning._


	40. Chapter 40: Epilogue

**Chapter 40: Epilogue**

* * *

 **Amity Park**

 **The Masters Mansion**

Vlad groaned as he flopped down on the couch, wincing as a flare of pain spiked through his body. He grumbled under his breath as he once again forgot to be careful around his injures. He had barely been able to escape those horrid creatures a few weeks ago, but the pain from the wounds the monsters had inflicted still lingered. He shivered slightly as the image of the creatures' horrible glowing eyes drifted back to him as more and more had seemed to appear through the trees.

He growled at the memory of that forest and who had put him there.

 _Daniel_

Just the name made the man clench his fists in anger. That little menace had ruined everything! Everything he had strived so hard to create! Standing back up, he walked swiftly across the room and pressed a small button on the back of a bust of his head. A large door opened and he stepped inside, the doors sealing as the elevator shot downwards.

Once the doors opened once more, Vlad stepped out into his newly created lab. Walking over to one of the counters, he grabbed a large piece of paper and crumbled it up, throwing it to the floor.

He stared around the counter and clenched his fists, swiping everything clean off the desk, papers and books flying everywhere. Suddenly, one of the large books fell into a large red button and the large doors to the portal slowly opened, eerie green light spilling into the lab.

 _That partnership with Slade caused me nothing but trouble._ Vlad thought to himself, oblivious to the open portal. _If I'm going to be successful in destroying Daniel, then I'll need people who'll listen to me. People who will follow my orders to a tee. People who hate Daniel just as much as I do._ He thought angrily as he turned his head, his eyes making contact with the swirling green portal.

A grin spread onto his face. _Or ghosts who hate him just as much as I do. _

He walked across the room and began to type away into his computer. _If a partnership didn't work out, then maybe i need to take it up a notch._

 _How about a team? _He smirked, a loud cackle escaping his lips as he stared into the swirling green light that was the portal.

"Just you wait, Daniel. This is _only the beginning_."

* * *

 **There you go everybody. The epic conclusion to the Ghostly Titan...or is it? Hehehe...**

 **Anyway, this story was SUPER fun to make, and considering it was my first one ever, I think it turned out pretty good. I'm pretty proud of it. Of course, in a couple years, I'll probably look back at it and think it sucks. But...oh well!**

 **So, just because it's over don't think you have nothing left to look forward to. *Cough, cough, sequel, cough* XD**

 **Well...no promises, but just keep your eyes peeled for...**

 **The Ghostly Titan II: The Order Of Apparitions!**


End file.
